In Jupitus' Shadow
by MigetX
Summary: Sparrow must travel to Samarkand in fear her adopted daughter is in danger. She must save Reaver against her wishes and complete a thousand year old curse that others think leads to treasure. Rated M for future chapter, a Reaver/FemSparrow fic
1. Alright Garth have it your way!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fable 2 that right belongs to Lion head studios.

Rated Mature for future chapters.

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Sparrow stood upon a wooden pier gazing out across an expanse of ocean. Staring at a tower that rose sharply out of the water its peak jagged and menacing. It had happened so quickly. Lucien was dead but not by her hand. The hatred and loathing ascended in her throat like bile stinging her flesh and leaving a nasty taste in her mouth. Damn that pirate, she thought darkly. All this time, all the things she had done only to have the chance for vengeance ripped from her.

Tears sprung to her eyes as her thoughts drifted. The faces of Rose, her husband, Gwayne her dog and two boys flashed and disappeared. The knowing that she will never be able to see them again brought anguish and pain the likes she had never felt. Steeling her self she wiped away the tears that slid down her soft cheeks. Her eyes still glistened in the bright light and, with great difficulty, she managed to break eye contact with the Spire and walk dispiritedly towards Oakfield.

The thought of returning to that house made her quiver with remorse, but she knew she would have to eventually. One thing was for sure, however, she was going to have to move. No way was she staying there not with the memories that burned with in her causing her agony.

As she passed the ripe fields and people with smiling faces her brain just seemed to switch off. Her feet dragged and her shoulders drooped. No longer was she the proud hero strong and wilful. Lustre was lost with her happiness. Drowned in her thoughts she had not noticed she had arrived to a thatched house. She looked up, stared at it for a moment. With as much of her remaining strength she could muster her hand shakily reached for the door and it swung open with a deafening creak.

Inside was how it was when she last saw it, but it was silent now and cold. There was no life in this place. The door slammed close behind her as she roamed the room touching various items that looked familiar.

With out warning Sparrow let out a heart wrenching scream and tossed the table across the room where the wood splintered covering the floor with its wreckage. Anything she got her hands was sent sailing in the opposite direction smashing, tearing and destroying all. Yells and screams ripped from her throat raw and primitive the sounds bouncing of the walls vibrating with her lamentation.

A snuffle caused a deathly silence and Sparrow stood frozen where she was the remnants of a chair still kept haphazardly together by its bindings. She dropped it, whipped round drawing her katana in one graceful and practised movement ready to strike out at whom ever had disturbed her. She stared wide eyed then froze.

Standing in the light cascading from the window was a small child no older than five staring at her with equally wide eyes, but the look was of innocence and loneliness. Her golden hair glowed causing an eerie halo to form round her head and her mauve eyes seemed to change slightly. In her hand dangled a teddy bear and as Sparrow's eyes roamed up she realised blood was dripping down the girls arm a long gash ran from her wrist to elbow glaring evilly.

Sparrow dropped her weapon and in that instant forgot all as she went to help the girl. She hardly moved as the older women moved and set to work cleaning the wound. The girl merely watched in silence face stoic and showing no signs of pain. Her small hand reached out and slapped Sparrows dark hair softly.

"Pain, Pain go away come back another day," said a small voice and Sparrow looked up in shock. The little girl's eyes shone with understanding and compassion. Sparrow stared in disbelief followed by shock. Her eyes widened and then a sob escaped her throat. Bowing her head she wept like a broken child. Unfazed the child patted the woman's head to comfort her as she wept.

Five years later

A light summer breeze swept through the busy streets of Westcliff as adults and their children mingled around the stalls, and caravans all under the watchful eye of the vast Crucible. Up the hill towards the shooting range sat a large gypsy styled caravan. Its rose coloured wood shone in the gentle sunshine content to sit and look beautiful against the lush backdrop of trees, shrubs and wild summer flowers.

Outside stood a women busy hanging up damp washing on a line strung between a tree and her caravan. The breeze played amongst the clothing that were already hanging from the line. Her dark brown hair had a reddish glint in the sunlight that filtered through the leaves. Her lean body still showed evidence of a physique built to fight. Beside her, playing amongst the roots of the tree, was a young girl happily humming to herself her golden hair glowing gently in the light. In one hand was a rag doll and the other a teddy as she played some imaginary game.

She suddenly stopped and looked up. Her mauve eyes widened as she stared and she got up trotting to the women who stood by the line. She tugged the women's skirt and she turned to regard the young girl with gentle blue eyes. The little girl pointed towards the tree and the women followed the small finger.

Underneath the tree stood a tall dark skinned man with greying hair spun tight into short dreads, a short grey beard covered his chin, a monocle covered one eye making the glowing orb seem that much larger and across his chest was a belt with scrolls attached.

The women gasped as she recognised the man that stood before her and a warm, friendly smile erupted over her face making it glow with a affection.

"Garth!" she cried joyously and she approached the Mage with her arms extended in greeting. Garth extended his own and grasped her arms firmly in a friendly manner.

"Sparrow," the affection was evident in the man's voice. "It's been a long time friend."

"Too long Garth," she replied grinning. Garth looked down and chuckled seeing the small girl hiding in Sparrow's skirts and knelt so he was eye level. The girl said nothing nor flinched, but continued to stare at him blankly.

"And who is this delightful young lady." as he spoke the little girl took hold of Sparrow's skirt and hid part of her face suddenly appearing shy. Garth smiled softly.

"Ah this is Lorna," Sparrow said patting the girl on the head, "she isn't my daughter, I found her in my house at Oakfield."

A soft 'ah' escaped Garth and did not press the issue. He held out his hand to introduce himself to the girl who hid further into Sparrow's skirt. He stood up and his face became grim. Sparrow tilted her head curiously and frowned gently.

"What is it? Has something happened?" Sparrow asked dread suddenly filling her stomach, "It isn't Hammer is it?" Worry shone in her eyes as her hands went to clasp her face.

"No, something else but I will explain in private." Sparrow nodded panic sweeping her body as disturbing thoughts filled her mind and lead Garth to the caravan. Once inside she indicated for Garth to sit. Inside the caravan was warm but sparse of any form of real decoration save the Daichi katana, master clockwork rifle and a smaller pistol, which looked to be just a simple flintlock mechanism. Garth's eyes swept over the contents as he sat at a table, which had two pair of seats either side. The half of the caravan he was in seemed to be the living quarters with the food preparation area in front of him, a wooden stove just to the left and storage either side of him and the table. Not to far from him, hidden by a screen, was where she must sleep. A kettle sat whistling merrily on the stove and Sparrow removed it setting it off to the side away from the heat.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked calmly despite the turmoil of emotion that filled her. Garth agreed and she set about to making some tea. Lorna trotted over and climbed onto the opposite seat and sat there staring at Garth as if he had two heads. Garth looked down at her with a friendly smile but she seemed undaunted continuing to stare. With out looking Sparrow said, "Don't stare Lorna, you know its rude."

Lorna looked at Sparrow's back then at Garth. She blinked a few times then lay down on the seat covering her head with her cloak. Garth chuckled as he watched. _Bizarre child,_ he thought as Sparrow set a steaming brew in front of him. Sparrow sat just next to Lorna who curled up into a ball refusing to uncover herself. Sparrow sighed and looked up at Garth clasping her hands gingerly massaging her palms together.

"So... Garth what's the problem?" she asked tentatively.

Garth paused as he lifted the mug to his lips and before he spoke took a sip and set it back down as if considering what he was going to say.

"We have a problem," he said, "But not with Hammer or Theresa I have not heard from them in a while."

"Then what is it," Sparrow demanded frowning in a annoyance.

"It's Reaver," Garth finally said after a pause.

The colour drained from Sparrow's face and her normally gentle features hardened, her eyes becoming icy. She scoffed turning away in disgust.

"Reaver!?" She said in a flinty voice, "He gets himself into all sorts of trouble, why should I care?"

"Because he is a friend," Garth said in mild voice sensing the hardened hatred.

She scoffed again and gritted her teeth. "He is no friend of mine, that bastard can rot for all I care..."

Garth took hold of one her hands that had balled into a fist and trembled from the force of her grip.

"Sparrow I know why you hate him, but he does need our help," Garth pleaded, trying to reason with the women, "we are the only ones that can."

Sparrow shook her head and removed her hand from his grasp. "Not a chance in hell," she replied stubbornly. Garth sighed and took another sip from the cup of tea reassessing his thoughts.

"At least hear me out first," Garth said regarding her with a worried scowl.

Sparrow looked at him then let out a resigned sigh and nodded. "Fine..."

"First I want to know if you received a package?" he asked curiously. Sparrow regarded him mildly and shrugged putting a finger to her lips as she thought.

"A package?" she hummed as she thought and suddenly her eyes became a light as she remembered, "ah yes." She got up and reached into a draw beside her stove and withdrew a small package wrapped in brown paper. She set it on the table and returned to her seat. She looked at it with a small scowl.

"I never opened it because it was from 'Him'," she said with a hint of scorn as she pointed to the signature on the package; it was from Reaver.

Garth took the package and examined it closely. He looked at Sparrow for permission to open it and she nodded. With slow, deliberate movements he opened the paper as if he held with his hands a precious object. Sparrow watched with mild curiosity as he did so and Lorna hesitated to peer over the edge of the table to see what all the hubbub was about. Garth made a noise in his throat as he tilted the package to the side and out tumbled a necklace. Garth withdrew in shock as he stared at it and his eyes became shiny as they became wet with tears. Sparrow immediately got the hint and looked closely at necklace.

It was simple, almost primitive, with squares of white gold that grew smaller as it came to the ends of the necklace and each one was inset with amethyst coloured jewel, but it sparkled in the light as if within its depths was hidden a secret power. As Sparrow drew her fingers across the jewels she could feel a dull throb vibrate through her fingers. Something here was not quite right and she could feel it deep within her self. Curiosity getting the better of her Lorna reached out her hand to touch the necklace but Garth pulled it away almost protectively. The small girl pouted and returned to staring at him indignantly.

Noticing a leaf of paper in the package Lorna pulled it out to have a look. Seeing Sparrow's name she held it out to her who took it with hesitant fingers. Sparrow looked down at it and after a moment a look of disgust washed over her face. Garth looked up curiously and she tossed the note to him. He caught it and read under his breath.

"Dearest Sparrow, I know I have not written to you so far but I have been very busy. Samarkand is wonderful and I think you would like it, I know I do. I have enclosed with this letter a little trinket. I wish for you to keep it safe. I feel I have over stayed my welcome and may have to return to Albion, but for now please keep this safe until my return. You are, sadly, the only one I can trust and so until I return keep it hidden and tell no one, and I mean NO one that you have it.

My sincerest thanks, Reaver

Ps, If you are lucky I may even show you just how appreciative I am when I return"

Garth rolled his eyes and sighed. _So much like Reaver,_ he thought to himself, He lay the note aside and picked up the necklace that glowed dimly in the sparse light of the caravan. He too could sense the power locked deep with in the precious jewels, but he could not quite tell, as of yet, its purpose and focus.

"What is it?" Sparrow asked, looking at the necklace speculatively. Anything from him she would never trust and something told her, her suspicions were right. Garth lay the necklace down gently and inhaled as he gathered his thoughts, and after a moment he exhaled.

"This 'trinket' as Reaver called it is in fact an artefact that was stolen some thousand years ago from the throne room of a long dead king. He ruled most of Samarkand and whose power was rivaled by no one but the Archon himself," he paused before he continued, "It is said that because it was taken a curse was laid upon the necklace until it is returned to throne room where the Kings corpse now sits. If it is returned the person is said to receive a treasure but no one knows what that will be."

Sparrow absorbed this but her eyes were narrowed suspiciously. "How did Reaver get his hands on it though, he didn't steal it did he?"

"I believe he acquired it with out knowing about its history," Garth said touching the necklace with his fingertips, "You see the only way for this to pass hands is if the recipient is willing to take it other wise it ends up returning to the previous owner."

"How come then its still here?" she asked leaning forward slightly feeling inquisitiveness grow in her.

Garth thought about it for a moment. "Well you must of received it willingly," he said simply and Sparrow shook her head with a wry smile.

"But I did not receive it, Lorna did," she looked down at the girl who stared back a flicker of a smiled played on the small girls lips before it disappeared.

"Ah so rightfully Lorna is the owner," Garth sat back with a frown, "That complicates things a bit." There was an awkward pause as Sparrow waited for Garth to speak. After a minute or so he moved so suddenly that Sparrow jumped a little. "As long as she dose not put it on it should be fine."

"What do you mean?" Sparrow then asked feeling panic rise in her again at the thought it might harm the child.

"I am not sure but I think there is a part of the curse that activates when it is actually put on," Garth took another gulp of his tea and regarded the young girl who was now staring at the necklace. Her mauve eyes slid up to look at Garth and she immediately ducked under the table again. Garth chuckled despite himself. Sparrow sat thinking a resigned look crossing her delicate features.

"So, I suspect your going to ask that we come with you to Samarkand," she said with a smile.

Garth shook his head, "I would not ask for the child to come with us. She must give the necklace either freely to one us, but yes we would have to go to Samarkand."

"And Save Reaver."

"Yes that is essential."

"I don't see how it is," she muttered looking else where.

"It just so happens that he knows where the temple is."

Sparrow glared at Garth in disbelief. "He just had to be didn't he," she said aloud with heavy sarcasm. Garth sighed and gave her a stern glare that one would use when reprimanding a child. Sparrow's look was one of feigned innocence.

Through out the conversation Lorna listened and watched. She slid with out the notice of the other two adults and crawled between their legs. She popped out the other side and watched them both carefully her eyes calculating. Her eyes went from one then to the other as if weighing up some unknown odds. With out warning her hand reached out, swiftly snatched the necklace and she legged it as fast as her little legs would carry her. She leapt through the door leaving the cries of Sparrow in her wake calling her to come back.

Sparrow and Garth had not realised what had happened till the small girl was long gone. Sparrow leapt to her feet and gave chase calling out to Lorna to come back, but when they both left the caravan she was no where to be seen. Panic stricken Sparrow called out Lorna's name. Garth grasped the hysteric women's shoulder firmly.

"Calm down Sparrow," he said firmly and she seemed to calm under his touch. "Ok, where is the most likely place she would go?" he asked with a firm logic. Sparrow's eyes widened as she thought and then it clicked.

"The ocean!" she said with a cry of elation, "she always goes down to the harbour and stares at the ocean. I always asked why, but she never said."

She started jogging down the hill with confidence that she was right.

"Is she mute?" Garth suddenly asked realising what it was that unsettled him about the girl. For someone her age she hardly spoke which was strange.

"Oh no she just doesn't like talking to strangers," Sparrow replied with a laugh as they ran side by side, "It took me months to get her to say anything... after the first time that is." A painful look crossing her features.

Garth looked at her questioningly but she ignored him her concentration on running. As they past people they asked the occasional one if they had seen Lorna. The answer was just as Sparrow suspected and they headed down to the harbour as fast as they could. As they stumbled down the steps in their haste Sparrow spotted the girl standing at the end of the pier staring out to sea. She skidded to a stop panting slightly and reached out to touch the girls shoulder. Lorna spun round and Sparrow gasped collapsing to her knees in shock. Garth was panting from the unaccustomed exercise but when he saw Lorna his face heated with intense anger. About her neck the girl had placed the necklace. The will lines that aligned Garth's face and body suddenly glowed violently expressing the anger that had suddenly consumed him.

"Lorna... why?" Sparrow asked reaching out to the small girl who looked back blankly.

"Jupitus," was all she said. Confused Sparrow looked back to Garth who was just as much a loss as she was. Sparrow took the girls hand and stood up looking at Garth. The look he received was forcefully determined.

"Alright Garth have it your way!"

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This was written on a whim as I want a femSparrow/Reaver fic but this will also be more adventure than romance. If you like then or have any constructive criticism then please read and review. Bare in mind that this first chapter was written while delightfully inebriated X3 so if there is anything that seems wrong please, please tell me and I will correct it. This applies to future chapters as well so read and review folks.


	2. Unto Samarkand

Disclaimer: I do not own Fable 2 that joy belongs to Lion Head studios.

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Lorna lay snuggled up in a bed sheet, but the smell was foreign and strange to her the unfamiliarity causing her to be on edge. She could not sleep as a result and she huffed in annoyance. She thought it was a good idea to put this necklace on, but now she was not so sure. Well, to be honest, she was not really sure what made her do it in the first place. All she remembered was an over whelming desire to take it and put it on. When ever she thought about it the only thing that came to mind was just one word, 'Jupitus'. She had no idea what it meant and neither did that strange wizard person... Garth or what ever his name was.

She sighed as she sat up when the room suddenly lurched. She grasped the edges of the bed to stop herself from falling out of the small cot. The splashing of waves could be heard plainly through the wooden walls and the bunk shuddered slightly as the boat bounced over another wave. The motion made her feel a bit queasy so to take her mind off it she got up to see what the adults were doing.

She opened her door a fraction and peered into narrow corridor that was lit dimly by oily lamps that sputtered black smoke towards the ceiling. When she was sure the corridor was clear she pottered out and down past three doors. Behind it she could hear the familiar voice of Sparrow. Her heart already felt at ease knowing she was just beyond this bit of wood. The voice of Garth also filtered through. Lorna pouted gently. She did not like him much for some reason. There was a benevolent arrogance about him that annoyed her. She was sure he was nice person and all it just so happened that she did not like him.

"Garth don't be angry she's just a child," Sparrow could be heard to say in Lorna's defence.

"She was right there," Garth then demanded, "She should of at least known not to put the damn thing on!"

"Garth I understand," Sparrow reasoned, "but over the past five years since we have been together she has done things, said things that no child would know or normally would do. She is special Garth and I think this Jupitus may be a link to what ever is going on. I say trust the child, please."

The tone of Sparrow's voice was imploring and it elated Lorna to know she trusted her that much. Garth however remained sceptical.

"I don't know Sparrow," he said, "It would have been better if she hadn't done it in the first place."

"Garth you trust me right?"

There was a pause that hung in the air like the stagnant fragrance of sewage.

"Well I trust Lorna so if you do trust me you will listen to me," Sparrow's voice was filled with determined conviction. Through the wood Lorna could hear Garth chuckle.

"I guess this is why your the fourth hero," he said amusement in his voice, "We can't help but trust your word. I mean if it had been anyone else Reaver would never of joined us. He was very stubborn if you remember."

It was Sparrow's turn to chuckle and Lorna could almost see her shaking her head, "No Garth that was Theresa's doing."

"And? he followed you out of Bloodstone."

Lorna decided that was the time to walk in and pushed the door open. The room was small with three narrow tables running its width. At the middle table was Sparrow and Garth sitting opposite each other. Between them was a couple of goblets and a stiff leather carafe filled with wine they had both been consuming. They looked plainly surprised and they stared at each other for a while before Sparrow spoke.

"What are you doing up honey?" she asked tenderly and Lorna looked down sadly kicking at the wooden floor with her bare toes. Sparrow smiled.

"Ah I see," Sparrow said simply knowing without words what was wrong and she opened her arms invitingly. Lorna automatically crawled into Sparrow's lap and her arms encircled the girl embracing her warmly. Lorna snuggled into her, her queasiness vanished along with all her apprehension and nervousness.

As both Garth and Sparrow began to talk at some length about things that Lorna felt were of her no concern to her, she could feel Sparrow's voice sooth her. The richness of her voice seemed to encourage the tendrils of sleep to embed themselves in Lorna's mind drawing her ever closer into unconsciousness. Before she knew it sleep had claimed her and wrapped her in a dark warm blanket made of dreams.

The next morning Sparrow stood on deck her eyes watching as the sun's rays cast their magical glow upon the world bringing colour and life to the vast expanse of ocean that was spread before her. Many say when they first look upon the beauty of the sea that they are humbled by its vastness. Sparrow did not feel humbled as such, but she definitely felt aware of a sense of belittling like the ocean was trying to make you feel small, but Sparrow knew that by looking up at the clouds that the sky was that much bigger than the ocean. She smiled as the clouds drifted in the opposite direction from where they were headed.

Heavy footsteps approached from behind and she knew who it was before they even spoke.

"Morning Sparrow," Garth's deep voice greeted as he stood beside her by the railing, "I trust you had a good nights rest."

She nodded then sighed.

"Is something wrong?" Garth asked and Sparrow shrugged.

"Last night I ended up sleeping with Lorna," she said in a small voice, "I think she was having a nightmare."

"A nightmare?" Garth asked interest sparking.

"Well, she was twisting and turning a lot in her sleep," she said looking over at Garth, "She was sweating and mumbling too but I couldn't hear what she was saying."

"Have you asked her?" Garth replied his eyebrow's arching.

Sparrow shook her head. "Not yet she's still asleep though since earlier this morning she had calmed a lot. I doubt she will remember anything mind."

Sparrow sighed again, but she smiled warmly and Garth chuckled. Even after the time together he knew that if she set her mind on something it would not daunt her in the slightest and the thing he liked the best about her was the ability she had to smile no matter what. To his knowledge it was rare to see her with out a smile unless you mention two names Lucien and Reaver. For some reason mentioning the two names causes her to want to smash something.

Garth patted the women warmly on the shoulder and grinned. "The captain say's we will reach land by midday."

"Okay Garth I will be below with Lorna," she replied with rueful grimace, "I don't think she is taking to sea travel." She chuckled and left Garth contemplating on deck as the sun rose higher in the sky.

As Sparrow ambled down below to the cabins she could not help but have a feeling of dread overcome her. Despite her best wishes she and Lorna had been almost forced on to this journey and all for what? To save Reaver. In her opinion the man was beyond saving. If it were not for Lorna she would not be here however the young girls decision to wear the necklace kind of forced the issue. It was inevitable then she surmised and after all that had happened to her she knew nothing was a coincidence.

She nudged the door to her cabin open just incase Lorna was still asleep and when she entered she was right. The little girl's hair was splayed over the pillow like a golden halo. She slept so peacefully it was hard to imagine she was a tormented soul. Though Lorna had never said anything Sparrow could tell. When one had suffered the same they could always tell if another had suffered a similar fate. All the signs were there, but no matter how hard Sparrow tried the small child just seemed unresponsive. When she spoke it was always small phrases and simple at the best of times. There was also the fact she never spoke to strangers either.

Sparrow sat on the edge of the small cot and stroked the soft hair marvelling at how silky it felt. It reminded her of her son's hair though shorter always had this fluffy quality to it. She smiled sadly and leant down to tenderly kiss the girls forehead. Then reaching for a chair she sat and waited, watching the child sleep and a sense of immeasurable peace flooded her. Sparrow smiled warmly, love filling her whole being and unknowingly a tear slid down her cheek. Hastily she wiped it away not knowing where it had come from.

With a sigh she contented herself with just watching knowing even if she had adopted and loved this child, she would never really be her daughter. In fact the girl never called her mother in all the five years they had been together. The girl was now ten and when Sparrow had found her she was very young, about five and even then she did not feel accepted as a surrogate parent. It did leave Sparrow feeling a little hurt but that disappears when ever Lorna smiled, laughed or even spoke. Sparrow leant back into the chair and watched.

When land was sighted Garth went below and knocked on Sparrow's cabin door. The door opened and Sparrow peered at him tiredly. Behind her Lorna also peered up at him with the same tired expression.

"Land has been sighted so get your stuff together we will be making port in about an hour," he told them and Sparrow nodded and assured him that they would be ready within that time. Satisfied he went back up on deck to watch with a sense of fascination as the sailor's went about the preparation for docking. As the land drew nearer and the port came into view a sense of elation swept through him. Though it had be at least two weeks since he left he could not help but feel comforted by the sight of his home land. Samarkand to him was by far the most beautiful of lands in the world and even against Albion's lushness it could not beat Samarkands variety. Jungles, deserts, marshes, swamps and even plain lands and forests covered her continent.

A voice distracted his thoughts and he spun round to watch Sparrow walk up on deck with Lorna holding her hand. The little girl was smiling happily and he noted that this was the first time he had seen the girl smile. When she saw him however the smile faded and her face went blank as it had when they first met.

"Hey Garth how much longer?" Sparrow asked adjusting the long baggage she had strapped to her back and the response was a shrug.

"Not too long," Garth assured as they watched the buildings become larger.

Sparrow took in the surroundings as they drew closer with a gasp. They all appeared to be built out of the very sand itself giving the illusion that the land was carved to look that way. The roofs were flat and they all seemed to be of single story with narrow windows. It was then Sparrow noticed that the temperature, though bearable, was very hot and her pale skin began to sweat gently. The cool sea breeze swept over her skin cooling her a little, a pleasant contrast to the heat.

Mesmerised she watched as the ship slid into the dock and everywhere she looked were dark skinned people just like Garth. The smile on her face widened with pleasure. Garth was the first of his people that she had met and now she had the chance to meet more. The thought brought her great joy and the thought she may learn more about his people from others just like himself. What also surprised her was that everyone wore brightly coloured clothes. To Sparrow it seemed like a rainbow of colour that contrasted with the sandy colour of the houses bringing life to something so plain.

Garth encouraged both Sparrow and Lorna to follow him along the gang plank and as they followed their eyes roamed the environment with curious gazes. Garth fell in step beside Sparrow as he guided her through the throng of people.

"We are heading to the inn where Reaver was said to have been seen last," he told her and she nodded curtly, "we will stay the night and I am going to see if there is anyone in town who might have seen him. What you can do is investigate the room." She nodded again keeping a firm grip on Lorna's hand just incase she lost her in the crowd.

"Are you sure this was the last whereabouts of that pirate," she refused to say Reaver's name if she had a choice.

Garth nodded and pointed down a street with less people. "It's down this way."

Mutely the two followed Garth as he lead them towards the inn. They continued to stare at the people that passed them who were giving them equally curious stares.

Garth suddenly stopped and pointed to a sign. The picture was obvious. What looked like a bird of prey was gliding over a field with a hare in its talons. She made an educated guess that the Inn was called 'The Eagle and Hare' or something like that, but below it the calligraphy was foreign to her and she had no idea what it said. Confused she looked to Garth who was smiling.

"It says 'The Hawk and Hare'," He chuckled at the look of bemusement on Sparrow's face and entered through the dark wood door. Both Lorna and Sparrow followed him in as the door creaked open. Inside they were met a room coveted with dense smoke and that resembled a pub rather than an inn. The stink of alcohol was evident along with other smells Sparrow did not even want to put names too. Almost out of instinct she reached down to pick up the small child as if to ward off the impending feel of danger that the place gave. _Trust Reaver to pick a place like this_, she thought sourly her nose crinkling in disgust.

She followed Garth up to a bar where a large man stood cleaning glasses with a piece of dirty clothe. It was funny to Sparrow that no matter where in the world you were all pubs and bars seemed the same. She waited whilst Garth spoke with the muscular barmen in a language that sounded wondrous to the ear. It was almost melodious occasionally permeated by clicks that off set the winding vocalisation of words just right. Sparrow suddenly felt stupid. For the reason she surmised because she had no idea what they were saying and wished very much that she did. She made a mental note to ask Garth to teach her.

Money and key changed hands, and Garth turned back to Sparrow. He indicated for her to follow him and she did with Lorna held close. She followed Garth up a set of stairs and turned off at the first level down a corridor, and stopped outside a door. Garth took the key and pushed it into the lock, gave it a firm twist and the door opened. Inside was almost empty save for a single chest of draws and a very large bed. To the left was a door where Sparrow guessed was the bathroom. Right opposite the door was a balcony closed off by wooden slats with dark read hangings either side. She set Lorna down along with her large parcel, which made a clunk when it hit the floor, and made her way over to it. She pulled back the wooden slats and walked out onto the narrow balcony where she looked over the roof tops of all the other buildings.

Garth closed the door behind them and looked around the room speculatively. He watched Sparrow stand on the balcony and came up beside her whilst Lorna investigated the bathroom.

"This is the room Reaver used during his stay," Garth said as he leant on the railing and gazed over the world before him.

"How did you manage that?" Sparrow asked mildly curious.

"I made a reservation for two adults and insisted on this room," he replied. Sparrow stared at him in disbelief.

"You presumed much," she said shaking her head slowly her face partially amused partly incredulous.

"Well I counted on your good nature, but things did not quite happen the way I expected," Garth said chuckling, "Though it had the same desired effect."

"You devious old coot," she said with a laugh. She suddenly felt something tug her trousers and she looked down upon Lorna's pale face. In the girls hands was a pistol its metal glistening in the light. Sparrow gasped and took the weapon from the young girls grasp examining it with a critical eye.

"Where did you find it Lorna?" she asked in evident surprise. The girl pointed under the bed.

Sparrow looked up at Garth who nodded and he jumped off the balcony to the roof below. Sparrow and Lorna watched fascinated by the older man's display of agility. When he had disappeared Sparrow looked down at Lorna with arched eye brows.

"Ok Lorna lets look around and see if we can find anything else," Lorna nodded and took Sparrow's hand. They both turned around and walked back inside. Sparrow clasped the pistol close to herself firmly and slid it into the band of her trousers.

When they were back inside they set about searching the whole room. "Ok Lorna," Sparrow said in a business like manner, "You look behind the furniture, I will look in the draws and under upholstery."

Lorna nodded in singular agreement and set to looking behind the head board of the bed. Sparrow approached the chest of drawers and steeled her self against anything she might find in there. She opened the top draw with a quick movement just incase something decided to jump out at her, but nothing did. All that sat in the draw were clothes, men's judging by the style of them.

Why the servants of this establishment had not removed them by now amazed her, but then she thought they may not of known they were here. With gentle hands she removed each item placing them atop of the chest of draws as she searched. Finding nothing she put them back and repeated the procedure in the next draw. All she found was breeches, tunics and men's underwear and much to her surprise the under garments were strangely normal looking for a man who liked a lot of sex. She continued her search however and when she came to the last draw, she removed the clothing, but then she noticed a something odd at the back of the draw. Reaching into it she searched with her fingers and felt what seemed like a book. Removing it she found it to be a leather bound book with a piece of thin fabric acting as a book mark.

Curiosity soon consumed her and she opened where the marker indicated. Over the paper was an elegant handwriting that seemed to flow over the page with a grace she had see only once, on the package Reaver sent her. She knelt there and began to read quietly to herself the last entry of what appeared to be Reaver's diary.

_Today I awoke as I had done so many times these past few years. Surrounded by people I had only met the evening before. A room full of dark skinned people with passion that seemed limitless and yet I am not satisfied. _

_I hate to admit it but I miss Albion. Its sweet breeze during spring and summer laden with the freshness of wild flowers, and even the chill of winter. Alas there is indeed no winter in this continent and to think I would miss such a thing. _

_It is not the only thing I find myself missing. I fear that the incident five years hence has somehow... changed me. In mind I believe it for the worse but to others it may be the better. I just do not know. I do know however there is she who haunts my dreams both night and day. Her sweet face hides behind my eyelids but all I see of it is a blank indifference and no smile. OH I wish I could make her smile, just once. Even if I were to die seeing her smile once would bring me a joy that I have not felt in so long and I would be happy to pass beyond._

_What am I saying, I am Reaver! I will not die! Not for any man or women no matter how much I feel. This is ridiculous the thoughts now roaming inside my mind. _

_I heard rumours today, moving on to other things, about someone looking for me. I think it is because of the necklace I acquired just the other day. I had planned to return with it and give it to her, but I fear that I have been unknowingly wrapped up in a conspiracy. You see, at night, when I lay dreaming, I see things, memories that are not my own. I think it's the necklace. It's telling me to do something but I am not sure what. What I can say for sure is that who ever is after it, CAN NOT HAVE IT! Something bad will happen if they do and even in my state of conscience I cannot allow that to happen. I blame Sparrow myself for pressing upon me the unwilling gift of conscience. That's it! I will send the necklace to Sparrow. At least there it will be safe in her hands. I hate to admit it, but she is the only person I could possibly trust with such a thing. Sparrow, such an odd name for a person, but I must admit it is rather cute. I laugh now, but if she knew she would probably slap me. For some reason she does not like me, that much I can sense. Either way I cannot help but _

The page cut off there and the scuff marks on the leather told her it must have been put back in the draw in a rush. She snapped it shut and making sure Lorna was not looking secreted it inside her pouch at her waist, then moved to something else. She looked under the bed where Lorna said she had found the pistol but there was nothing else. She pulled up the rug merely out of interest and she gasped in shock. On the carpet was a dark red stain that was evidently dried blood. Sparrow dropped the rug back into place a bad feeling creeping over her skin. Lorna looked up questioningly from her inspection of behind the window hangings and Sparrow smiled to reassure the small girl. With a shrug Lorna went back to what she was examining whilst Sparrow walked up to the door.

Something about it seemed odd and out of place. It looked alike it had recently been repaired as the wood looked to be of differing colour. Lorna made a strange noise and Sparrow turned to see what was the matter. Lorna stood by the window holding back one of the hangings and behind it was a dark, badly cleaned stain. Goosebumps rippled over her skin as her minds eye painted an unsightly image of what must of happened here.

Reaver was perched on the corner of the bed closest to the chest of drawers scribbling in the book whilst faceless people lay sleeping in the bed. Noises distract him and he hurriedly forces the book back in the draw. He scrambles for his weapon when the door is broken down off its hinges. The unknown attackers shoot him once and he hits the wall beside the window. The sleeping individuals awake screaming and leave in a rush, panic stricken. Reaver fires off a round and one attacker falls down dead by the bed where the rug was now. He gets into a scuffle and is knocked out. His gun falls from his grasp and is kicked indifferently under the bed.

Sparrow waved a hand for Lorna to let the curtain go. The little girl did as she was told walking up to the women whose face had paled slightly. Lorna reached out a hand and pattered her arm. Sparrow smiled and stroked the girls soft hair.

"Thanks."

Lorna smiled and hugged her round the waist as Sparrow sighed forlornly.

As the sun began it's descent towards the horizon Garth returned looking grim and tired. Sparrow set him out a goblet of wine, which he took gratefully. As he drank Sparrow related her findings here in the room keeping the diary a secret to herself. Garth followed with the occasional nod.

"Sounds like a plausible assessment," he said casually, "from what I could determine there were many of Western Samarkand origin asking for him. Many of the traders said they saw a group head up through the southern entrance." He paused rubbing his face tiredly. "Many also say that as they came up from that direction the abandoned castle seemed to have human inhabitants."

"You don't think that is where they are hiding out?" she asked and Garth agreed that it was a possibility. Sparrow sighed and watched Lorna stand on the balcony. Her purple eyes were watching something that was in the street below. Sparrow approached to see what she was looking at, but all she could see was the dark shadows, then a flicker of movement drew her eyes to an alley and it seemed someone had been watching.

"Come on Lorna time for bed," she said taking the little girls hand and pulled her away. Lorna followed reluctantly but solemnly followed climbing onto the bed. From one of his bundles Garth produced a bed roll which he lay on the floor between the bed and the window.

"Are you going to be alright down there?" Sparrow asked with a small worried frown. Garth smiled.

"I will be fine, do not worry about me," he replied laying himself down with a sigh. Sparrow shrugged and crawled under the covers of the bed with Lorna snuggled up to her side. The warmth of Lorna's small form gave Sparrow a small measure of comfort as she slipped into an uneasy sleep. Down below in the alley a pair of glowing white eyes stared up at the balcony then with a flicker they disappeared leaving the alley empty and silent.

The next morning they prepared to leave. Garth went on a head to purchase a cart to make the travelling down south easier, so waiting patiently, Lorna and Sparrow stood with their minimal luggage be the side of the street. They received occasional stares that were not threatening, but Sparrow felt distinctly out of place amongst these people of shadowy skin. She was relieved to see Garth drive up on a cart dragged by a large, mean looking bull. Its curved horns were as wide as it was long and its body rippled with powerful muscle. Sparrow feared from looking at the beast that it may make the cart explode if it wanted to display that power. Tentatively Sparrow lifted Lorna up and followed onto the back amongst the dry straw. When he was sure they were on safe Garth made a clicking noise, whipped the reigns and the beast surged forward causing the rickety cart to lurch violently till it was trundling along at a sedate pace.

Sparrow settled into the straw whilst Lorna stood watching Garth drive the massive bull forward. From inside one of her bags Sparrow pulled out the Dragonstomper. 48 that belonged to Reaver. She was sure he would be grateful for its return, but for now she contented herself with examining it whilst she had it. It was an awesome looking piece of weaponry. Its golden barrel was a bit longer than the standard pistol for greater accuracy. It was beautiful to look at as the mahogany wood was a strong contrast to the golden colour of the metal. A curvy almost floral pattern was engraved into the metal plate about the trigger and hammer concealing the mechanism. It must a cost a lot as there was a lot of evident craftsmanship had gone into creating such a beautiful yet deadly weapon of death.

The cart jolted to a halt and Sparrow peered over the top of slats between her and where Garth sat. Directly in front of the bull standing as still as a statue was a figure clocked in black. Their face nor any other part of their body could been seen within the fabric.

Puzzled Garth called out to them, "Excuse me would you please move, your in the way."

With deliberate slowness Sparrow climbed over the top onto the cart seat with the pistol in hand just in case. She hesitantly filled the barrel with black powder, then filled it with shot and proceeded to gently tap the butt of the gun on the wood beside her.

The figure refused to move but from within the folds a raspy voice echoed sending chills down Sparrow's spine. Beside her she sensed Garth shiver also.

"I know of you missssion," he said, "I can help you get into the cassstle, but you mussst give me sssomething in return."

Curious Garth tilted his head to regard the figure his glowing eyes speculative. "And what would this be?" he asked of the stranger who turned their head ever so slightly in his direction.

"The map I mussst have it!"

"But we don't have a map," Sparrow said her tone puzzled.

A wheezy chuckle reverberated from within the hood as it seemed to expect this answer.

"You will when you sssave your companion," he said and turned to follow the road southward.

Garth and Sparrow looked at each other the same thoughts evident in their eyes as they turned back to regard the slowly ambling figure.

"Don't trust him," Lorna said in a squeaky whisper and Garth nodded in agreement.

"I must say I agree with you child," he replied with a low whisper, "But for now I believe we should follow him just for the time being."

"Its not like we can escape him," Sparrow muttered, "He's going the same direction."

"Quite," Garth replied with a small smile snapping the reigns to encourage the bull to move. Reluctantly the beast surged forward to follow the dirt road. Sparrow could not tear her eyes away from the stranger. He moved at a steady pace but was hunched forward. It looked human enough but from where she sat something screamed in her mind that something was wrong. She voiced her fears quietly to Garth who nodded.

"One must always be careful in Samarkand. Things are not always what they seem," he had told her and she gave a derisive snort.

"Nothing ever is," she muttered.

"No its not," he replied giving her a knowing smile and looked down at the pistol still in her hand. Sparrow turned away hiding the pistol beside her feeling her cheeks heat slightly in embarrassment.

"Whatever," she muttered and he chuckled. He patted her shoulder and turned back to his driving. Sparrow looked down at the pistol that lay in her hands. Just looking at it made her feel a little queasy.

As the day drew closer to midday the heat became sweltering and sweat poured down Sparrow's soft cheeks. She fanned her face with her hand to try and cool herself but it did not help. It seemed to permeate everything and even the wooden seat was so hot she feared it may suddenly combust into flame. Beside Garth sweated gently, but seemed unfazed by the sun's radiant energy. Jealous Sparrow looked down at Lorna who sat in the corner of the cart where there was some semblance of shadow. Her face looked flustered though no sweat appeared on her skin. Sparrow reached down and placed her hand to the girls forehead, which felt warm to the touch. A worried frown creased Sparrow's forehead and she reached down to one of the packs to retrieve a water skin. The liquid sloshed inside the container loudly the sound attracting Lorna's attention. Her eyelids parted sleepily and allowed the older women to put the water skin to her lips. She took a few mouthfuls from it then pushed it away to turn over and closed her eyes again.

Sparrow let out a resigned sigh and took a draft from the skin her self then offered it to Garth, who took a few gulps before handing it back for Sparrow to re-cork it.

"How is she?" Garth asked indicating Lorna.

"I think she's alright," Sparrow said in a low voice, "Though I don't think she is used to such intense heat but then neither am I." She chuckled ruefully while Garth frowned and looked down at the dozing child.

"Well keep an eye on her just incase," he said firmly and Sparrow nodded.

"Ok."

Not soon after the tips of stony turrets appeared between the trees that had steadily begun to claim the land. The mountains on the horizon seemed to encroach on them steadily too. As the trees became denser more and more of the castle seemed to loom out of the canopy like a rising giant of stone work. The temperature dropped also as they passed under the shadowy cover of the trees much to her intense relief. Even Lorna seemed to wake up a bit more finding enough energy to perk up to look at her surroundings.

They slowly followed the trail eastward just shy of the castle. The stranger who had walked none stop since starting came to an abrupt halt. The bull made a loud noise of protest as Garth pulled on the reigns hard to prevent the great beast from trampling the person into the dirt.

It reached up and pointed a gloved hand into the undergrowth.

"Hidden there iss a sssewer entransse," it said turning to look at them, "But only one can go though however asss there are magical guardingss here. I can only open it for a ssshort time before the wardsss come down again."

"I understand," Garth said making to get off the cart, but before he could move Sparrow grabbed his arm.

"No I will go," she told the Mage firmly as she jumped off the cart and slipped the Dragonstomper into the back of her trousers and reached over to slip out the Daichi she had hidden in the straw. Garth stared at her as if she was insane.

Lorna poked her head out a worried frown making a furrow between her eyebrows, but she said nothing.

"Shouldn't you stay here with Lorna..." he protested but Sparrow cut him off with a stern glare. Lorna touched Garth's arm and when he looked down at the little girl who shook her head. Garth got the hint and knew well enough not to argue with a stubborn women.

Sparrow turned to the stranger her gaze equally as hard, but he just stood there as if he could not see the glare he was fixed with.

"Alright Mysterio lets go the sooner this is dealt with..." she sighed, "the closer I am to home."

The stranger bowed and lead her through the bush. She turned slightly to nod curtly to Garth as she slid the Daichi into the sheath on her back. As she followed she hitched up her trousers so they sat more comfortably over her hips and tucked away any lose parts of her tunic fearing that they might get caught on something during a fight, that would be embarrassing.

She followed the stranger for what seemed three long very silent minutes. He eventually stopped and they stood in front of a barred wrought iron gate. The stench that filtered through was the unmistakeable fragrance of a sewer. The odour of rotting vegetation and human waste was almost palpable forcing her to take off her sash that sat around her waist. She wrapped it around her face trying to protect her sensitive nose from the stink. She nodded towards the stranger who bowed and with a sweeping movement reached out to touch the gate. A storm of wheezing escaped his hood which she took as some form of chanting. The air sizzled and popped as a great energy electrified the atmosphere.

The air around the gate suddenly shimmered and it seemed to become unfocused. Sparrow rubbed her eyes to make sure her eyes were not playing tricks on her. The stranger began to pant from effort and he looked up.

"Hurry the dungeonsss you are after lead off from the sssewersss. If you find a ssstatue of an armoured man head in a north ward direction till you find a torture chamber. You ssshould be able to find you way from there."

"Yeah thanks," she muttered darkly.

"I will be here when you return," the stranger said as she entered the tunnel. Steeling her self against the stench and oppressive atmosphere she made her way inside.

"All this for that Pirate," she muttered and continued regardless into the darkness.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I hope this was better than the last chapter. For some reason the first felt a bit short. Anyway read and review if you liked it or have constructive criticism and all that jazz. I just like hearing what people thought about my story, until next time tatty bye X3


	3. Sewers, Castles and Pirates

Disclaimer: I do not own Lion Head Studios

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The sound of Sparrow's breathing seemed loud in her ears as she sloshed through dirty, stagnant water. Each time her feet disturbed the viscous liquid it sent wafts of revolting stench up into her face. She had to take off her sash as the heat had become unbearable and made her feel drowsy, which was something she did not want especially if there was to be a potential combat situation. It had been years since she had a real fight and hoped that her muscles still remembered how to move a sword.

She had no idea how long she had been wondering in the sewer tunnels as the lack of light left her feeling disorientated and lost. She stumbled into yet another junction that looked so much like the others she had passed through. She let out a frustrated sigh and leaned against the clammy stone wall wiping the sweat from her brow. Her eyes scanned the room around her when she stopped.

In the opening to the tunnel that lead in a northerly direction was an alcove that sat in the wall about waist height and sat in the alcove was a small man dressed in heavy looking armour that covered him from head to toe. A whoop of joy escaped Sparrow's lips the very sound of her voice making her freeze when she realised it was echoing back to her. Sheepishly she slipped past heading down the tunnel.

It was far easier after that to find her way. When the stranger said follow the armoured man she did not think it was like a guide leading you in a northern direction, because every tunnel she found heading north had the same alcove with a little armoured man standing in it. Relief swept through her in the knowledge she was now going in the right direction.

She soon came across a ladder in a dead-end leading up to a hatch in the ceiling. Hesitantly she climbed the slippery rungs till she came to the top and with a shove the hatch crashed open. She pulled her self through and paused making sure there was no sound of any guards that may have been attracted by the sudden noise. All was still and deathly quiet as she crept round some crates which had the hatch hidden away.

She passed under an archway and guffawed at the sight before her. She had seen some instruments for torture, but for most of the equipment in the room she did not even have names for. She past racks and pulleys of varying degrees a chill creeping up her spine. A table covered in rusty implements made a horrified expression crease her face. Deciding it would be best to get through the room as quick as possible she ran keeping her eyes on the floor.

She reached the wooden door at the end of the room and she panted deeply. Taking a moment to compose her self she pulled on the door handle. It was stubborn at first but the more she pulled, it soon eased open enough for her to squeeze through the gap. The room must not of been used in a long time she thought as she stepped carefully down the dim corridor. Towards the end was evidence of lit torches and so she headed towards it. The light attracted her like a moth to a flame. Before she made the mistake of stepping into the corridor a scream echoed down the wall towards her. She froze as she peered round the corner.

Along the wall at intervals were the unmistakeable design of dungeon doors. They were made of a solid looking wood with a rectangular hole near the top with bars, possibly the only inlet of light for the prisoner that had the misfortune to have to spend time inside one.

The scream caused a dull ringing in her ears as she realised with horror who it possibly belonged too. She felt her heart constrict tightly and a wave of anger arose as if from no where. The door that was third from the end, furthest from her, opened and two large men stepped out side. One turned to slam the door shut and locked it whilst the other was wiping his hands on a piece of bloodied clothe. They spoke together for a moment in the language she heard Garth use with the barman and they left up some stairs at the end of the corridor.

Cautiously she approached the door they just left and examined it. She bit her lip nervously as she looked over her shoulder every now and then making sure to keep listening for any footsteps. She took a step backward then run a little way up door and grabbed the bars. With all the strength she could muster she pulled her weight up till she could see into the cell. It was dark as she expected but what light that found its way into the cell illuminated a bare foot and dirty rag covered leg.

"Reaver?" she whispered loudly into the cell, "Reaver can you hear me?"

There was no response, which worried her. Her muscles started to shake from the effort of holding her weight so she said she will get him out, not that she was sure he had heard her. She dropped lightly to the floor, paused, then out of her pouch produced too long pieces of metal that looked much like knitting needles except the ends were bent at ninety degrees. She took a deep breath then poked the bent ends into the lock and began to wiggle them around in a very precise fashion. Her pink tongue was poked out as she worked the mechanisms inside the lock until 'click' it unlocked and Sparrow let out a sigh of relief.

Very slowly she pushed the door and it swung inwards with a dull creak. Wincing she entered light flooding in around her. The one inside the cell hardly flinched and Sparrow found herself staring at a man whose face was dirty and haggard. A dense splay of stubble covered his chin and his hair hung messily in his face. Though the green eyes that now stared at her glittered the body she saw was nothing but skin and bone.

Sparrow could feel her throat tightening as she looked upon the man she regarded to be pompous, arrogant and always held himself with pride. Seeing him broken like this was very much the same feeling of seeing a great beast trapped in a cage, reduced to a quivering lump when it should be out, free to conquer its territory. It brought a wave of pity upon her and she knelt down beside him. The green eyes followed her progress and glared balefully at her from underneath dirty blonde hair.

"Reaver?" she whispered softly, "its me Sparrow."

At the mention of her name his eyes widened and his lips moved mumbling.

"Sparrow?" his voice was dry and husky and something in the tone held surprise and pain.

There was a pause and suddenly he grinned his perfect white teeth gleaming at her and for a moment there was a shadow of the old Reaver there, she smiled.

"I didn't," he coughed violently and she leaned forward curiously. "I didn't..."

"Didn't what Reaver?" she asked and he looked at her almost sheepishly.

"They wanted me to tell them," he said and paused, "where you were. I didn't though, I didn't"

The smile was of silent triumph and the breath caught in her throat.

"Why?" she asked. The question caused his face to become blank.

"Because," was all he said and he looked at her with narrowed eyes. He suddenly reached out and touched her face. She flinched away from it and he sighed.

"So you're not an illusion to trick me," he said simply and he closed his eyes.

"Reaver!" she shook him gently and his eyes widened to stare at her a wild glint in their depths.

"That's it," she said in a harsh adamant whisper, "I'm getting you out of here."

"Why?" he replied in a defeated tone, "You hate me."

"That has nothing to do with it," she scolded him and the sound made the man flinch.

"This is ridiculous," she huffed as she set to work on the locks binding his wrists, "This isn't you Reaver, not you at all."

He remained silent as he watched her through the strands of his hair. Her fingers worked the picks with practised fingers as he watched with mild curiosity and surprise.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked when the shackle dropped to the floor with a dull clunk. Sparrow moved round to work on the other one.

"One of the many things the gypsies taught me."

"Ahh those pesky gypsies," he said with a sigh, "they can be so tricky."

He chuckled but it soon turned to racking cough. Sparrow smiled and held onto his shoulder to steady him. Reaver grasped her hand gratefully and she carried on with what she was doing. Just as a click signified she had finished a dull clang made her head whip round. The sound of heavy footsteps and jingling keys came to her. With cat like stealth she reached up to grip the handle of her katana and with a dull hiss pulled it free from its sheath. Electrical energy crackled down the blades length as she prepared herself. Reaver watched with fascination as a guard entered through the doorway looking thoroughly confused. With out warning Sparrow pounced and slid the blade through the guards ribs. Blood sputtered from the man's mouth as he fell to the floor dead leaving Sparrow standing in the light, blade in one hand and looking down at the body with blank disinterest.

Reaver chuckled. "When you stand in the light just right you look so..."

"Don't you dare even finish that sentence Reaver," she snapped pointing a long elegant finger towards him. He chuckled again and whispered 'sexy' under his breath. Lucky for him Sparrow did not seem to hear as she wiped her blade clean on the guards shirt.

She re-sheathed it and approached Reaver. "Okay you butt pirate give me your arm."

Reaver let out a raucous laugh at what she called him and extended the required limb. With strength that surprised him she brought him to his feet with a shoulder supporting him. He nearly crumbled underneath his own weight and his face creased with pain as he gritted his teeth.

"No I can't!" he nearly shouted as his legs just refused to work.

Sparrow eased him back to the ground. _This is unexpected,_ she thought her mind working fast. She could carry him out, but how? Over her shoulder was one idea but that meant blood would rush to his head that would not be good especially with the problems she may encounter and the length of the trip. Piggy back was another another idea but he had very little strength to begin with. Then a strange thought crossed her mind as she remembered seeing how many of the women carried their children back at the harbour. Removing her sash once more she judged its length then tied the ends together so she had a circle. She sat for a moment as she worked the idea though her head.

Reaver stared at her with an arched eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he asked in a weak voice.

"You'll find out," she replied, "Right do you think you can sit up?"

With a grunt of effort he managed to lean forward and she slid one end of the hoop under his legs and the other end over his head so it sat across his shoulders, then with the two edges by his arms Sparrow twisted them once into loops. She turned around so her back was to him, slipped her arms through the loops so their bodies were close together and she instructed him to grab her shoulders as she grabbed him thighs. With a heave she lifted him so he was situated on her back. Leaning him gently on the wall so her body supported him she went about adjust her make shift harness.

"I swear this should be the other way round," Reaver commented lightly in her ear and he chuckled.

"Please keep that lecherous trap shut I am trying to concentrate."

To her surprise he did as he was told and waited patiently as she tightened the harness by making the arm loops bigger. She took a piece of cord that kept the top of her tunic closed and used it to tie the two loops together over her breasts. When finished she took a deep breath as she braced herself. Reaver however took the opportunity to look over her shoulder and down the open tunic, a huge grin on his face.

"Its silk so it should hold," she muttered to herself, "I hope."

"What do mean?" Reaver asked as he cautiously encircled his arms around her neck, seeing she made no move to swat him away he tightened his grip.

"I mean this was a very expensive sash that Garth sent me a couple of years ago," she replied as she paused a moment, "I am not an expert of weaving but I have been told that the weave on this sash is of expert quality so I am hoping it will hold."

"Well get on with it already," Reaver demanded impatiently.

"Ok, ok give me a chance, I'm supposed to be rescuing you."

"Taking your time about it," he sniffed irritably looking away.

With a frustrated growl Sparrow stood up and waited. When nothing happened she let out a sigh of relief. She was aware of the strain on the sash by the way it cut into her shoulders, but she was relieved to know it would hold. It was not like Reaver was very heavy either. Against her back he felt like nothing but a sack of bones. Reaver looked down as he could feel something between her and him, and pulled out a pistol. Sparrow looked over her shoulder.

"Ah, yes I found it," she said and was about to say something but stopped when she saw the look of love and adoration in his eyes as he regarded his weapon. He rested against her back and reached around the pistol hanging limp in his hands.

"Use it well," he said and she took it slightly puzzled but did not argue. She slipped into her belt as he rested his cheek on her shoulder and his arms hung limp over by her sides. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable by how close he was to her, but with a shake of her head she dismissed these thoughts as she unsteadily walked forward slowly getting used to the extra weight. With growing confidence she exited the cell closing the door behind her and walked carefully down the corridor. When she reached the door she realised that it was shut when she was sure that she had left it open. She kicked and pushed as hard as she could but the stubborn door just would not open. She glared at it and cursed colourfully under her breath.

"That's not very lady like," Reaver commented drowsily.

"Hush your gums Reaver," she replied waspishly, "We have a huge problem. The way back is blocked."

"You what!" His head snapped up and his green eyes stared at her incredulously. She could feel the anger through his rigid body against her back. Her mind suddenly went into over drive her only thoughts being their survival and eventual escape.

"Ok lets think about this logically," she said in a calm voice, "When you were brought here do you remember any thing."

She felt Reaver shudder as he remembered thoughts he must not of wanted to remember.

"No," was the demure reply, "I was bound and hooded. I couldn't see a thing."

"You sure?" she asked gently and he nodded laying his cheek on her shoulder once more.

"Ok then it looks like we will just have to wing it doesn't it." She began to walk back down the corridor. She paused at the corridors end and looked up the stairs towards the door. With light steps she ascended the flight and opened the door. To her surprise the corridor was empty and she passed out with slow cautious steps her senses on high alert. When she was sure they were some what safe she began to jog making sure she was not jilted Reaver's worn body to much.

The twisting lengths of corridors and walkways seemed to turn into each other. Each one looked the same and she had the distinct feeling she was going in circles. Having Reaver strapped to her back did not help the situation either. Whether he was aware of it or not he had turned his head the other way and she found the bumping of his nose on her neck a bit distracting. A breeze disturbed her hair and sense of joy coursed through her. She jogged down the corridor following the breeze like a trail leading her to what she hoped was a window.

To her surprise it was not a window but a large open balcony looking out onto the vast forest just below. She walked up to the rail and looked over the edge. Not too far down and slightly forward from the balcony was a lower balcony leading into a glass house. From where she stood she could see the greenery inside with branches and leaves pressing against the roof top windows.

A storm of yells and angry cries made her whirl round on the spot. Heavy foot steps thundered down the corridor causing the stone floor to vibrate beneath her feet.

"That's not what I think it is," Reaver's voice breathed into her ear. She fought to suppress a shudder as her thoughts tumbled over each other. She trotted up to the balcony entrance only to find her way blocked by the bodies of large dark skinned men glaring down at her with sneers.

From between them a tall, thin man approached his skin not as dark as the men behind him, but it was obvious he was still of the same ethnicity. His face was hidden by a blank white mask with nothing but slits where the eye holes would have been. He loomed over the smaller hero as sense of dread filling Sparrow as she stubbornly held her ground.

"You would be Sparrow," he said in more of a statement than a question, "I wondered when you would turn up." He approached slowly causing her back up towards the balcony rail. "I have been waiting for you." The voice was dark and slightly distorted behind the mask. He chuckled deeply the sound dripping with menace.

"Damn." Sparrow hissed under her breath, "This is not good."

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I hope you liked this chapter and I know its a bit shorter than the last one, but I want to keep a certain flow to each one. I really enjoy writing Reaver's character its such a fun personality shame I had to this to him, I even felt kinda sorry for him.

Again read and review please.


	4. Escape is the Only Option

"I would rather like it if you handed both that man and the necklace over to me, and I will let you go unharmed." The masked stranger made a gracious bow indicating a path with the sweep of his arm. At the silent signal the large burly henchmen stood aside making a clean path back into the building.

Sparrow knew better than to trust anyone who said 'I will let you go unharmed' because they, nine times out of ten, never meant it. The replying expression was speculative her keen eyes trained on all within her sights.

"You seem to have me at disadvantage Sir, who are you?" she asked politely though she kept at a discrete distance from him.

"You need not worry about that for the moment, but if you come with me I believe we can come to an accommodating arrangement," he said. The tone of his voice failed him at the last word as he almost grated out each syllable as if the thought gave him much pain.

Sparrow scoffed and a nasty sneer twisted her lips. Behind her Reaver clutched at her shoulders and when he felt her turn he gaped, clutching harder knowing before she did anything just what she was about to do.

"Your not, don't you dare," he whispered sharply in her ear a pang of anxiety tugging at his lungs, "your crazy, don't you dare!". She ignored him however and with a sudden spurt of energy she ran the gap between them and the rail using what momentum should could in that small run up. The masked stranger let out a cry of anger as he watched powerless. With forced power she leapt and pushed off the railing, the metal shuddered under the combined weight of them both. Reaver let out a high pitched scream as they sailed through the air. The feeling of weightlessness happened for a few seconds as they arched through the air. Then gravity took over and the lower balcony grew in size and came speeding towards them. Reaver screamed again as as they hurtled downwards. Sparrow landed heavily on her two feet collapsing briefly to one knee.

She turned round and looked up despite the pain in her legs a defiant expression solid on her pretty features.

"I don't care who you are or why you want the necklace, but you are not getting either that or this man you hear me," she yelled up to the furious man that glared down at her, "As long as I hold breath I will keep both from you, you hear!" She gave the man the middle finger and she turned to stride away whilst he cursed and sputtered over the railing.

Reaver still clutched at her tunic as his knuckles turned white from the force of his fear induce grip and his face had paled beneath his scruffy beard and hair.

"Warn me next time you decide to take flying lesson's" he hissed weakly.

"Your still here aren't you," she scolded and Reaver nodded weakly burying his face in her shoulder. He panted furiously from the aftermath of fear broiling in his chest and muttered lowly to him self. Sparrow readjusted his weight against her back and proceeded forward.

She took a few more steps before pausing again. She turned to look at the higher balcony but it was empty. With a irritated sniff she turned back and then the floor began to tremble. She stopped to keep her balance as she looked down and gasped involuntarily as she felt something beneath her feet gave way with a crunch. Reaver looked down puzzled.

"Sparrow what's wro..."

He never got the chance to finish his sentence as the stone trembled and a great tearing sound reverberated as stone grind deafening against stone. Then without warning the stones gave way and Sparrow and Reaver found themselves tumbling and falling amongst rubble. A sharp pain cascaded through her as something hard smashed against her leg. A cry of anger and pain escaped her lips as she, with great effort, twisted her body so she faced downwards. She let out a grunt as she hit something hard that gave way reluctantly beneath her weight and she found herself suddenly encased in water. The greenish liquid swirled and rushed in a roar about their bodies filling her ears with a deafening sound.

Her legs and arms flailed about her as she tried to claw the two bodies through the water. Stones and other rubble rained down around her striking her body in various places causing her to flinch violently. Against her back Reaver writhed and clutched at her body. She groped blindly about until her hand something more solid. A surging thrill coursed through her and climbed up the wall her legs kicking to propel her upwards. Just as her lungs began to scream for air she broached the surface and inhaled violently. Behind her she could hear Reaver gasp and sputter. With as much energy as she could muster she dragged them both out of the water.

She lay on her side panting heavily a great weariness enveloped her and Reaver's own panting echoed hers as they lay in silence, permeated by the sound of stones plopping into water.

"Ok," she mustered through breaths, "I did not mean for that to happen."

Reaver grunted sourly. "Well we better get moving or we may be caught by the Masquerader up there."

"That's easy for you to say I'm the one making all the bloody effort," she said propping her self on one elbow. Her eyes quickly scanned the room her eye brow rising in interest. What they had fallen into looked like some form of pool hidden within a stone chamber where no light would have touched, were it not for the new addition of a sky light; courtesy of Sparrow and Reaver. In each of the four corners of the pool were broken pillars as large as two men stood side by side. They were currently lain on a lip that surrounded the pool with steps sloping down to a a dusty bare stone floor. In each of the four walls were grand arches leading off into darkness.

With a groan Sparrow removed the soaked sash leaving Reaver to roll panting on his back staring blankly at the ceiling muttering quietly. Sparrow ignored the pirate and sat up inspecting her leg. She let out a involuntary moan as she inspected the large gash that was now bleeding profusely staining her trousers. She leaned in close and picked out flakes of stone and grit, then roughly ripped her trousers leg so the injured leg was exposed from the knee down. With a few minor modifications she tied the fabric tightly about the wound. She winced and bit her lip against the pain refusing to let a cry escape her lungs.

Behind her Reaver rolled onto his side and shakily pushed himself into a sitting position. He disentangled the sash from him self and tossed it aside. He sat for a moment staring blankly into space till he turned his head to stare at Sparrow's back as if he had only just noticed she was there.

"Sparrow?" he asked his voice full of confusion, "what are you doing in Samarkand?" . Sparrow turned to look at him incredulously.

"Your kidding me right?" she asked starting to feel just as little confused.

"I never joke!" Reaver replied with a hint of spite, "Unless the the situation calls for it." He added and his hands went to adjust his clothes but he froze shocked. His trembling hands ran over his arms and his chest with a sense of panic enclosing upon him. In a fervent crawl he hastily went up to the pool and began to inspect his face in the distorted reflection. He sounded dangerously close to hyperventilating as he stared at his gaunt face. He looked up at Sparrow who watched silently. The look she received was almost accusing.

"What happened to me," he said in an angry biting tone, "Why do I look like this!"

"You don't remember?" Sparrow frowned and he shook his head. Sparrow was about to say something when a loud crash echoed through out the chamber, the discordant sound sending chills along her skin. Reaver's head snapped to the sounds origin his eyes flashing angrily.

"I will have to explain later Reaver," Sparrow suddenly said as another crashing sound swept about her, "We have to go now!"

She reached out and grabbed Reaver by the tattered shirt. He reluctantly got to his feet and let out a groan as his body made protest. Supporting each other they hobbled away through one of the arches disappearing into darkness.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Well, this is frustrating_, he thought cooly as he contemplated his situation. He watched his men pound relentlessly upon the brick wall that stood between him and what was beyond. Frustrating. All this time and he was so close to having what he wanted. He had suspected help would come for that pirate, but he was unable to predict it and so it was sooner than he anticipated. He had a deep suspicion that it was Garth. _That fucking Mage_, he thought furiously as he lashed out and kicked a passing lackey, yelling at him to get a move on.

He had been close to cracking that pirate's shell too. All that information just beyond his finger tips unable to grasp what he truly wanted. All those secrets that the selfish pirate must know. He needed to re-evaluate the situation he conceded. With Garth and this Sparrow in the picture it made things a little harder, but no matter, even if he had to tear what he wanted from their lifeless corpses he would. The thought pleased him greatly and a deep, menacing chuckle vibrated in his chest as he rubbed his gloved hands together in sadistic pleasure.

A small, scrawny man trotted up beside the chuckling maniac and patted him on the arm. The masked face looked down curiously.

"What is it?"

"Sorry to disturb your greatness, Adren, sir, but your brother, Emberoka is here," the small man said fixing the floor with small, beady eyes.

"Tell him he can wait, I'm busy." A yell of exaltation made the masked face look up. One of his lackey's waddles up with a huge, childish grin.

"We did it sir, we did as you told us."

Adren reached up and patted the large man on the arm his expression of blank disinterest. "Well done now you can go play now."

The lackey dropped the large hammer he had been holding, which hit the floor with a dull clunk, and ran off giggling like a school boy. Adren sighed and shook his head, looking down at the small, ferret faced man beside him.

"Not the most intelligent but he has his uses," he said with a wry chuckle, "When ever you have a stubborn obstacle to remove us a brute to do it."

The small man nodded in agreement looking over his shoulder disdainfully. Adren shooed him away and so the small man trotted back the way he came disappearing up a flight of stone steps. Adren approached the hole in the wall surrounded by large sweating men whom refused to look up at the thin man that walked past with an imperious air.

Adren peered through the hole and like an insect crawled through to stand on the other side regarding the pool of water quietly. He interlaced his fingers behind his back as he watched as the greenish liquid swirled and ebbed gently as if it were recently disturbed. The light that shone through the hole danced on the waters surface. The waves began to slow as the liquid began to settle itself into its previous state.

Adren strode around the vast pool inspecting the pillars and the steps that lead up to it. He stopped when he had reached the opposite side and on the floor was a trail of puddles that lead through the arch that sat open like a large mouth waiting to swallow him. He carefully walked up the steps and peered down into the pool then at the large puddle of water just beside him that was stained with a dark reddish substance. At the sight of the bloodied water he smiled beneath the mask. He knelt down and picked up a long sash with its ends tied together. Another chuckle echoed behind the mask the sneer could almost be heard as he laughed. In his hand the sash hissed as the water scorched the man's gloved hand.

"They won't get away," he snarled. With a quick turn he began shouting orders at the men that had taken the liberty of crawling through the hole to have a look themselves. They froze as he shouted at them and suddenly broke into a scramble to obey his orders.

"And bring out the hounds!" he shouted walking back to the hole in the wall, "This time look after them we don't want another shot! Their rare enough as it is!" With a disdainful sniff he crawled back through the hole.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Garth kept his glowing eyes trained on the hooded figure watching its every move, if it ever moved. For some reason the thought of this creature or man (he could not tell which) sent chills of alarm up his spine. The only creatures that came to mind that could stay still for so long were insects. Garth's hand trailed over his will lined cheeks down to his small, well trimmed beard and he began to stroke it thoughtfully.

Behind him seated sedately amongst the straw was Lorna happily working away at something that sat in her lap. In one hand was a fabric covered object and in the other a needle flashed in the dim light working back and forth as thread tied together the fabric. She then stopped mid stitch and looked up a look of confusion on her young face. She put away the doll she was making into a bag and stood up to look into the forest.

Garth turned his head to look at Lorna and looked off into the forest wondering what she was looking at. Then, all of a sudden, the forest trembled and a vicious howl danced between the trees. Lorna whimpered and hid within the straw. Garth sat up straight his body tense as another roar echoed through the forest. Lorna could be heard whimpering lowly amongst the the straw and Garth reached down a hand to comfort her. She quieted for a moment before shots rang out and she began to cry again.

A surge of excitement coursed through him as more shots rang out and shouts filled the air, the voices sounding familiar. A loud screech made him cover his ears for fear they may bleed as something heavy hit the floor making the ground shudder under its weight. His eyes widened as the animalistic sounds seemed hauntingly familiar. Even the bull pawed at the earth with its heavy hoofs its eyes wide with fear.

Then rustling caught his attention and through the foliage, hobbling as fast as they could muster, was Sparrow and a very decrepit looking Reaver, and they were, despite their situation, arguing like children.

"It was by far your fault you silly women," Reaver scolded.

"My fault! If you hadn't decided stop to 'make a compromise' those bloody animals wouldn't be chasing us!" was Sparrow's heated reply as she aimed the gun over her shoulder, "They would have missed us if we had kept moving in the first place!"

"Well if your aim was better it would not be much of a problem!"

"My aim has nothing to do with it!"

Garth coughed as they drew closer and they looked up. A look of surprise crossed Reaver's taut face as Garth jumped off the cart seat to help and just as he grabbed Reaver's free arm the ground rumbled. He turned his head a fraction and cursed.

Staring blankly at him from between the shrub branches was a Mountain hound. As large as a bull, large teeth, sharp claws and covered in nothing but muscle. Its stunted muzzle pushed through the leaves and snuffled, drool dripping from its maw in large droplets its large, bat like ears twitching. Along its thick skin was a bristly fur that stuck up menacingly on end. It opened its mouth and roared the stench of rotting meat engulfing them. They gagged as they made a dash for the cart.

"Get Reaver to the cart, I will deal with this!" Garth yelled taking a defiant stance between them and the evil hound who stared at the Mage with dark, beady eyes. It lunged, but Garth was ready and with a powerful sweep of his arm he sent a large fireball straight into the face of the beast. The beast let out a piercing scream that shook his very bones. Garth stumbled back as the blast's shock wave hit him and he watched with a look of smug triumph as the hound dashed back into the forest whining like a wounded dog.

He turned back and ran up to the cart to help however he could. The clocked figure, however, moved with surprising speed knocking Garth off his feet and the mage was sent flying through the air to land head first in a bush. It then made to grab Reaver but a bullet hit it square in the shoulder sending dark pieces of matter everywhere. It let out a angry hiss as it stared back at the women who had a pistol trained on its head.

"Give me the Pirate!" it's voice was no longer a dark whisper but a gushing roar as black electrical currents passed over its clocked body.

"Not a chance!" was the reply as Sparrow fired again this time hitting it over the heart. The creature collapsed laying still for a moment till it shuddered and sat up.

With an exasperated breath Sparrow reloaded. Behind her Lorna uncovered herself to see what was going on. She stared at the stranger that now sat on the cart, his hair messy, and clothes tattered and dirty. With out knowing why she reached out and touched the man on the back of his neck with her palm. The necklace began to glow gently and Reaver's body seized, head drooping so his chin hit his chest.

Sparrow went to fire the weapon a third time but was knocked from the cart as something roughly pulled the Daichi from its sheath at her back. She looked up from the dirt to stare in awe as Reaver plunged the katana deep into the clocked figures chest. It convulsed once, let out a scream of pain and then burst asunder as the blue energy pulsed through its body sending bones, and ash to clatter to the floor.

Sparrow's eyes switched to Lorna who stood, eyes closed, on the cart and the necklace glowed gently. It pulsed for a few seconds then the light died leaving it to shine pleasantly in the dim light. Lorna opened her eyes, blinked and smiled a Sparrow with genuine innocence. Reaver however dropped the katana and collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"Reaver!" Sparrow exclaimed as she pushed her self to her feet pain searing through her leg and she hobbled over to the unconscious form. Garth disentangled himself from the bush and strolled over with long strides. When he got to them he picked up Reaver and motioned Sparrow to follow. As he lay Reaver amongst the straw Lorna watched with a blank expression regarding the sleeping pirate indifferently.

"Is he going to be okay?" Sparrow asked worriedly and Garth nodded.

"He should be," he looked at Sparrow's bloodied leg and clucked his tongue. "Lets have a look at that leg."

Reluctantly she extended the offending limb and winced as Garth removed the makeshift bandage. He clucked his tongue again as he reached into one of his many pouches and pulled out a bottle. He took out the cork and looked at Sparrow as he held it over the wound. Sparrow got the hint grabbing a wade of cloth from one of the bags and shoved it between her teeth then held onto the side of the cart as if for dear life. She nodded and Garth angled the bottle to pour out a luminescent green liquid that sunk deep into the wound covering it entirely. Sparrow's eyes went wide pain searing through her limp. The agony caused her to bite down hard on the wade in her mouth and stifled moans echoed in her throat. Lorna reached out and patted Sparrow's shoulder a worried look in her eyes, and Sparrow gave her a appreciative half smile as she grimaced against the pain.

As the liquid seeped into the wound the flesh began to mend and knit itself back together and after three long agonising minutes the wound was gone. The only evidence was a long thin, silvery scare. Sparrow spat the cloth out vehemently and glared down at her leg.

"One more for the glory books," she said bitterly as she flexed her leg back and forth. More shouts and cries made her look over her shoulder. Garth quickly jumped over Reaver and sat in the drivers seat, grabbing the reigns he snapped them hard. The bull started off at a sedate walk but a small lightning bolt to the hind quarters soon made it go faster.

As the cart bounced up and down violently Sparrow crawled up beside Reaver and lay in the straw with a tired sigh. Lorna knelt beside her just staring and Sparrow looked back questioningly though nothing on Lorna's face showed any sign or comprehension of what she just done.

"When we get to a safe place," Sparrow said her eyelids drooping, "We are going to have a long chat." Her head hit the straw with a soft thump and eyes slid closed as weariness soon overcame her. Lorna's hand went to the necklace a sad look crossing her face and she sighed gently. She then reached into a bag and pulled out a blank rag doll. She looked closely at Reaver and nodded sitting herself amongst the bags her needle setting to work.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I want to first to thank all of the people who reviewed this story it was very encouraging and apologise as this would have been up a few days ago if it were not for University work. And to answer the question 'Is Reaver's hair turning blonde because he's becoming good?' well, actually I thought his hair in the game looked dark blonde and was confused when in other stories they described his hair as black. I guess it is all to each artists interpretation... either that or I am going coloured blind... anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter and more should be on the way. As always if you like read and review people!


	5. Its Only Natural

Reaver stirred and awoke from the darkness of sleep to find himself starring up at a canopy of leaves a dim glow of light poured through them in rays. He could feel something clutching at his shirt and he looked across at the body that lay next to him with blurry eyes. He stared confused at the women that had a fistful of his tunic and lay sleeping soundly._ What the hell happened,_ he thought to himself. It was not the first time he had woken up to a pleasant sight, if not every morning, but he always had a(if not somewhat hazy) recollection of what had happened the night before. It was then he felt how heavy his body was. A dull ache had settled into every muscle and bone, and as he moved to remove the hand that clutched him so intently a sudden pain exploded in his stomach. The cramp caused a yelp to escape his lips the sound made the woman's eyes to snap open.

A pair of intent sky blue eyes stared at him with a worrying look. The pain slowly eased as he stared back his mind slowly piecing a few memories together. He fought a smile as he slowly bent over and locked lips with her giving a fairly passionate kiss.

Sparrow froze rigid with shock as she felt the Pirates soft lips lock with hers. As if by instinct her hand connected with a resounding slap across his face leaving a large red mark on his cheek. A triumphant sneer twisted his lips as he fell onto his back. Sparrow left the cart her face bright red as she stormed off towards the nearby stream, knelt and plunged her whole head beneath the waters surface.

Reaver could not help but chuckle as Garth approached the cart and leaned on it. He gave the pirate a scathing grimace shaking his head a little.

"You know, you shouldn't do things like that," the mage said.

"Well she should not get so close in such an alluring position then should she," Reaver grinned widely.

Garth raised an eyebrow then let out a sigh. "Nothing changes," he murmured as he clambered onto the cart with a heavy groan of effort.

"How are you feeling any way?" he asked as he rummaged through a pack pulling out items of clothing and a single bottle of pinkish liquid that gave off a gentle glow.

Reaver sat up slowly and turned his head to look at the bottle suspiciously. "My body aches," the pirate said simply. He twitched.

_A tall shadowy figure poured something into a cup. The glow was an ominous pink and purple as the bottle was set a side and something else, colourless, was poured into the mixture. The figure came closer holding something in its hand. It knelt close a pair of fiery orange eyes glared from within tight slits. "**Drink this**," it said, "**It will make you feel better.**"_

Reaver grimaced and blocked the oncoming bottle with his hand. He stared at it a frown creasing his brow. An over whelming feeling told him to keep it away.

"What's wrong?" Garth asked puzzled, "This will make you feel better."

The echo of those few words sent a shudder up Reaver's spine. He suddenly felt sick and he stared at the straw with down cast eyes. Seeing the expression Garth let out a sigh and put the bottle away removing a smaller, green coloured bottle. He held it out to Reaver who took the bottle speculatively and sniffed the opened mouth.

Garth chuckled, "Its a standard healing potion."

"I know what it is," Reaver replied and took a quick mouthful. The taste was bitter, but it was better than letting time heal his wounds. Not like he had that kind of problem. He watched as Garth pulled out more pieces of clothing. The ache in his bones began to loosen and the cramp in his stomach disappeared as if it did not exist. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as Garth handed him very familiar looking clothes.

"Um, thank you Garth," Reaver said with hint of confusing, "Where did you get them?"

"We went to the Inn you last stayed in."

An 'ah' sound escaped Reaver as his hand stroked the silken tunic on the top of the pile as he struggled to remember.

"I don't remember." Suddenly angry Reaver rubbed his forehead on his palm struggling to make a glimmer of sense of the confusion that had suddenly surrounded him. _Why can't I remember!_

A soft thump made him look up and a small girl with long blonde hair stared at him with curious mauve eyes. In her hands was a small rag doll that looked like it had a pair of trousers on and not much else. Its face was blank and it had not any other pieces of clothing. Stuck in the doll's neck was a thin needle connected to by a piece of white thread.

"And who may you be?" Reaver asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Lorna," was the simple reply and the child smiled sweetly, "You're Reaver!"

Reaver nodded a bemused smile on his lips as she clapped her hands happily that she got his name right. Garth on the other hand watched with his mouth slightly agape. _That's more words than she has ever said to me in one sentence, _Garth thought a little annoyed.

"Sparrow looked after you," she said and Garth's eye twitched, "two days." She held up two fingers and smiled with a little giggle.

"Okay, that was nice of her," Reaver replied shifting a little uncomfortably.

Lorna nodded enthusiastically. Reaver then looked over the cart's edge to where Sparrow was busy scrubbing her hair dry and he gazed back down at Lorna who gazed back with her head tilted cutely.

"Are you Sparrow's... daughter?" Reaver asked with a slight cough. Lorna thought about it for a moment blinking occasionally. She looked down sadly and shook her head.

"No she found me," she said in a small voice. Unconsciously she began to gnaw on a knuckle, "I want her to be, as... as she is the only one wh... who looked after me."

"Then why don't you call her mother?" Garth asked, who had quickly recovered from his shock of hearing her speak more than one sentence.

Lorna shrugged as she continued to bite and chew on the knuckle nervously. Reaver sighed in annoyance and pulled the offending finger from her mouth. Lorna looked up in surprise and regarded the pirate with shiny eyes. Reaver looked away with slightly flushed cheeks.

"It would make her very happy," he said in a low voice. Lorna thought about it and nodded. With out warning she leapt from where she had been kneeling and embraced the pirate. Reaver let out a cry of shock and sat there panicking like a distressed school girl.

"Lorna!" snapped a flinty voice and Lorna looked over her shoulder as Reaver tried to push the small girl off him. Garth was too busy laughing to notice Sparrow approaching as Lorna let Reaver go and jumped off the cart obeying a silent order, trotting off towards somewhere by the stream. Sparrow regarded Reaver with narrowed eyes that sent sharp daggers in his general direction and Reaver shrugged his hands held up defensively not really sure what he had done; the girl hugged him after all. With a huff she stalked off after Lorna.

Recovering from his fit he gazed at the pirate with a small smile, twisting the braided piece of beard that dangled like a string from his goatee. Reaver scowled at him and huffed checking his clothes for any damage.

"How did we get here?" Reaver eventually asked, "All I remember is being chased by an over sized dog. 'sigh' it really had this a revolting stench about it."

Garth nodded and leaned back against the cart side. He thought for a moment his minds eye replaying the scene. The plunging blade and the look in Reaver's eyes. The focused, concentrated gaze that sent a shiver racing up the mage's spine. It was almost like Reaver was pushed aside and something else had taken over. Garth shook his head and regarded Reaver solemnly.

"We were chased for about a day and a day hence we have been keeping a low profile," Garth explained, "You have been unconscious all that time mumbling a single word almost constantly."

Reaver made a derisive snort as he tossed his head slightly. "Are you implying that I talk in my sleep wizard?"

Garth shook his head. "No Pirate, I am saying your dreams were disturbed by something. Do you remember them?"

Reaver shook his head. "Nope and don't wish too thank you. What was the word anyway?"

Garth sighed, "Jupitus."

Reaver froze and stared at Garth like he had grown an extra head, then quickly looked away. Garth gave the man a serious stare mental noting something then slid from the cart and patted it to get Reaver's attention.

"Either way, I suggest you get washed in the stream before putting your clothes on," Garth said then looked up with an amused smile, "And for the love Albion man, comb your hair."

Reaver glared at Garth as his hand went to pat his hair with a small pout. He nevertheless did as he was told. The stream was refreshing and he had not realised he needed it until he plunged into the small, freezing cold pool. He did not spend long bathing and returned to the camp where he had his clothes laid along the cart's edge waiting for him. He stood there, back turned to the others, gently drying his hair when a giggle made him turn slightly to look over his shoulder.

"Look Sparrow, Reaver has a white bottom!" Lorna's small voice squealed with a peal of giggles.

Sparrow stared in shock at Reaver whom had been standing there naked the whole time. With a gasp she covered Lorna's eyes and her cheeks went pink with anger.

"Good gracious Reaver!" she growled, "Have you no dignity!"

Reaver smiled cockily and turned to face Sparrow full on as he continued to rub his hair indifferently with the rough towel. He allowed a few moments before speaking reveling in the awkwardness she felt as she looked away her angry pink cheeks turning to an embarrassed red.

"Why? its only natural," Reaver remarked.

Sparrow flustered refusing to look his way. "Not in front of Lorna!"

"Why?" Reaver said, "She has to learn sometime?"

"Learn what Sparrow?" Lorna asked curiously and looked up despite the hands that covered her eyes.

The growl that reverberated from Sparrow started in her stomach and rose up into her throat until she let out a furious scream. Reaver had only moments to react as stones and sticks flew at him. He let out yelps of pain as stones hit him on the legs forcing him to dance on the spot to avoid them until he dived behind the cart.

"YOU CRAZY WOMEN!!" he yelled his head appearing over the top of the cart. He ducked quickly as stone narrowly missed his head. "HAH! YOU MISSED!"

Sparrow picked up the confused young girl and turned to stalked away. Reaver watched with puffed cheeks as Lorna waved over Sparrow's shoulder.

"Big White Bum!" she giggled in a sing song voice and Reaver looked down awkwardly to peer at his behind.

"I don't have big buttocks," he said reproachfully his lower lip stuck out in a pout. He sighed and went back to drying himself.

A steady chill crept into the forest as dusk was slowly approaching and Sparrow, with Lorna trotting at her side, returned with sticks for a fire. They set them down and Sparrow went to work digging a small pit, filling it with stones, then stacking large sticks into it followed by smaller ones. Reaver was busy trying to pass a comb through his stubborn hair only succeeding in pulling out small dark tufts. He let out a frustrated growl and threw the comb where it hit a tree, rebounded and landed in a clump of tall grass. Lorna trotted over and picked it up looking at it reproachfully then to the agitated Reaver who glared at the ground, his hair stuck at odd angles where he had tried to tame the mass.

Lorna stepped up to Reaver and held out the comb to him. Reaver looked up with a raised eyebrow and scowled looking away. He let out a sulky huff as he stared off into the darkening forest. Where Sparrow was setting up the tiny stack, she focused for a moment a small ball of flame erupted from her hand leaping into the pile of wood. It soon caught a light and was blazing merrily casting a warm glow around her. She looked up as Lorna stood beside her with the comb in her hand. Lorna's face looked down pensively and Sparrow sighed taking the comb from the little girls grasp. Lorna suddenly grinned happily as Sparrow stood up tapping the comb gently on her palm.

"Oi! Reaver!" she said and the pirate looked up nonchalantly. The tall women pointed to the ground by a large stone on which she sat. Reaver raised a confused eyebrow as his head perked up.

"Sit!" she barked as Lorna skipped over and tugged on the man's arm.

"She's will do your hair for you," Lorna smiled and Reaver followed silently a small smile graced his lips, he certainly was not going to argue. He stopped to stare down at Sparrow who stared back indifferently. With another sulky huff he turned and sat in front of Sparrow with his knees drawn up to his chest. Sparrow held out the comb then paused to let out a soft sigh. With steady movements she drew the comb through the dark blonde hair gently teasing out the knots that appeared to thwart her progress. Occasionally Lorna pointed at various clumps of hair she thought Sparrow had missed and the women calmly combed them through.

With a sigh Reaver tiredly closed his eyes and leaned back against Sparrow's legs causing Sparrow to pull a face. Lorna giggled quietly and Sparrow glared mockingly at the little girl who replied with a sweet innocent smile. Sparrow watched curiously, as she continued to comb Reaver's hair, how his whole body seemed to relax like an uncurling feline. His legs stretched out, his shoulders went slack and his arms fell limp with his hands sat lightly in his lap. Sparrow looked at Lorna with a raised eyebrow and the little girl shrugged a smile on her lips. Reaver's head then began to bob back and forth gently in time with the strokes until it landed in her lap. Sparrow looked fit to scream as her mouth fell open in silent protest and she froze. Lorna giggled again and with a resigned sigh Sparrow made to grab Reaver's head, but she stopped.

Looking down at his face she gritted her teeth tightly till they ached. She refused to concede to the fact he was indeed handsome. He sighed as his breathing evened out into the rhythm of sleep and in his slumber his face looked peaceful. _How dare he look so peaceful! _She thought heatedly. She clenched her hands at the sides of his head and her body shook slightly from the force needed to keep her misgivings at bay. The kiss from earlier sprung to her mind and she quickly forced the thought away stubbornly saying to herself she hated it. No matter what he had done to her she would never stoop to his level, but it did mean she had to like him. She knew that what she felt towards Lucien was the same here, but that was for more than just revenge. Although she conceded that the emotion fuelled her crusade against that man, or was he a monster, he had to be stopped for the sake of all Albion. She whimpered slightly as the anger and pain that the memories Reaver had given her broiled, and tumbled in her stomach like a bad case of indigestion, severe indigestion.

With a rough shove she pushed the man from her lap and stalked over the cart leaving the comb stuck in Reaver's hair. The pirate let out a grunt as he hit the floor and awoke with a start blinking in confusion. He sat up and looked at Lorna who shrugged. The small girl grabbed the comb and finished what Sparrow had started leaving Reaver frowning.

In the shadow of the tree's Garth's form emerged with a stick lain across his shoulders and from the end were four rabbits dangling sadly by their feet. He looked about the small camp curiously.

"Who fancies dinner?" he said to everyone and no one as he approached the fire.

Later that evening with their bellies filled with food and Reaver's hair looking more managed they remained sat about the campfire with a weary silence shrouding them. Lorna was sat wrapped in a blanket on Sparrow's lap as Sparrow nestled her cheek against the young girls blond locks. Reaver lounge on the opposite side picking his teeth with a slim piece of rabbit bone whilst Garth was reading a book by the light of his Will scars alone.

Reaver flicked the bone into the fire and brushed his hands together as his thoughts danced with the flames that flickered before him. Every now and then his eyes trailed to the two huddled close together.

"So I am supposedly the one who knows the way to this temple?" he asked looking over at Garth who continued to read.

"That is correct," he flipped a page.

Reaver played with the leaves and twigs near his leg with irritated movements. "Really?"

Garth sighed and snapped the book shut which made Reaver grin. "Either your faking that you can't remember or refusing to remember so you can swindle us."

"Sounds more likely," Sparrow interjected and Reaver stuck his tongue childishly out at her. The reply was less than polite.

"Please, children behave," Garth said firmly making both adults cheeks burn and he sighed, "Reaver, is there any chance of you remembering."

Reaver shook his head. "When I bought the necklace I was given a map. The individual said that piece of parchment came with it." Reaver shrugged indifferently. "I did not think anything of it at the time I was more interested in how much I would get if I sold the necklace."

Sparrow rolled her eyes as Garth continued to quiz the man. "So where is the map?"

Reaver thought for a moment tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I believe I put it in my diary."

Sparrow suddenly sat up. "Your Diary?"

Reaver nodded and waved a hand vaguely. "I believe I left it in the room at the inn where I was kidnapped," he said a shiver running up his spine as the hand went to his shoulder.

"Ah," Sparrow pursed her lips remembering having found the book in the draw. Hesitantly she set Lorna a side and got up approaching the cart. When she returned she held out the leather bound ledger to Reaver with an apologetic look.

"I found it that day when we went to the inn," she said in a small voice. Reaver's eyes widened and snatched it from her.

"Thank you," Reaver said with a light cough as he covered his embarrassment by opening the front cover and ripping back the paper. Beneath it was a folded piece of aging parchment which Reaver carefully removed and laid on his knee whilst he put the small book into his tunic.

"Very cleaver," Garth grudgingly murmured as he drew closer to peer at the map his fingers extended towards it eagerly. Reaver slapped the hand away as Sparrow settled next to Lorna who immediately snuggled up to her.

"I thought it best after I started having the dreams," Reaver said as he carefully unfolded the parchment, "But I think you will be disappointed."

"What dreams and why disappointed?" Garth asked excitement unmistakeably tinting his voice.

Lorna's eyes widened as she listened intently from beneath the arm that had encircled about her. Reaver visibly shuddered and sighed. He paused before he spoke his voice low.

"I am not sure what it was about," he began staring into the fire with the map half unfolded in his hands, "everything was like an ethereal haze as dreams are. All I remember is a man standing amidst chaos, alone, so cold... so like me." He paused as he frowned pain evident in the green eyes that stared intently at the fire. As Sparrow listened a sudden sympathy washed over her, unwanted, she pushed it away in vain. "In his hand was a map that flapped in the wind but it was blank and about his neck was the same necklace."

"What did he look like?" Garth asked in a low voice.

Reaver licked his lips as he thought. "He was tall with dark skin like yours, but his eyes were … were." He suddenly looked up and stared with wide eyes at Lorna as a realisation dawned on him. "Like her's." He pointed at the young girl who stared back with a sad expression.

"No they're not," she replied in a small voice.

"What do you mean they're not?" Reaver asked incredulously, "I remember exactly."

"They're white," she said in a firm voice and Reaver scowled at being corrected by a small child.

"And how would you know?" he asked scathingly and Lorna sighed as she sat up then pulled down the neck of her dress to reveal the necklace that glittered in the fire light. Reaver stared in shock and jumped to his feet leaving Garth diving to catch the map before it hit the floor.

"WHAT!" he yelled loudly, "How could you let a child! A CHILD! Wear the damned necklace!"

He stared incomprehensibly at the two his face mirroring the shock and terror he felt. Sparrow blinked a few times only just ingesting what he had said.

"We did not plan it," Garth finally said firmly as he looked knowingly at Lorna who looked down at the floor sorrowfully.

"What do you mean did not plan it!?" Reaver asked bitingly and Garth flinched a little from the tone.

"She just ran off with it," the wizard explained calmly, "there was nothing we could do."

Reaver scowled darkly and made to approach the girl. "Give it to me!" he demanded and Lorna looked up appalled by the suggestion.

"NO!" she squeaked clutching the necklace.

"Lorna listen to me you've put yourself in grave danger by doing this," Reaver scolded, "Now give it to me!"

Still the girl refused but as he made to grab her she let out a piercing scream and a pulse of energy knocked the pirate of his feet sending him crashing to the floor. Dazed he haphazardly clambered to his feet using a tree for support. Garth and Sparrow looked on in astonishment. Lorna collapsed to her knees and wept despairingly as Sparrow scooped her up to comfort her. She glared at Reaver hard and stormed away with the weeping child to where a tent was set up.

Reaver made to go after her but Garth stopped him in his tracks. Garth gave the pirate a hard look which Reaver replied with one of stoic indifference. Garth sighed and sat down to study the map leaving Reaver staring at the tent. He never thought a child would deliberately put themselves in such danger and even he would not put a child in such a position. If that was the case then why did he feel so bad. The feelings of disappointment and guilt made his chest feel tight, all of which he hated. With a dark harrumph he sat unceremoniously beside Garth who stared at the parchment with a scowl. _Why should I care anyway,_ he thought childishly as he leaned over Garth's shoulder. In Garth's hands the parchment lay blank leading to the frustrated sigh that escaped Garth.

"I did not think you were telling the truth," the wizard said softly as he folded the parchment up.

"There is a time to lie and a time to tell the truth," Reaver said wisely and Garth gave him a strange look. "What?"

"Nothing," Garth shook his head a moment and continued to fold the map up scowling irritably. He carefully put the wad in a pocket inside of his jacket and stood up. "I think sleep is in order, you will take first watch?"

Reaver sighed irritably and pouted sulkily. "Do I have a choice?"

Garth chuckled and made his way over to the cart. He disappeared for a moment then returned with a cloth covered object and he held it out to Reaver who looked up blankly.

"What's that?" he asked, but Garth said nothing and smiled handing the object to Reaver who knew what it was as soon as it touched the flesh of his fingers, the familiarity of it sending tingles through his bones. The pirate gasped and immediately whipped the cloth aside letting it fall to the ground. In the light the golden plating of his pistol glistened. He ran his finger tips over the engraved metal and the mahogany wood, a sigh of happiness escaping him. He looked up to say thank you but Garth had disappeared into thin air. Reaver shrugged, then grinned as he checked the flint and powder all of which was in order. Like a young boy who had just received the birthday present he always wanted he played with the weapon shooting imaginary targets and spun it about his fingers with practised grace. He stared off into the shadows and sighed. He slid the pistol back into its rightful place at his side. He relaxed and leaned against the tree behind him preparing himself for a long night.

"I hate being on my own," he sniffed crossing his arms and listened to the soft whisper of the wind that danced around him. Amongst the shadows something snapped and his eyes moved instantly to where the sound came from. He sat stock still as he stared hard out into the forest then relaxed when nothing happened. He closed his eyes and relaxed again. From within a bush a pair of glowing eyes staring intently at the pirate. It shifted slightly to stare at the tents then it disappeared as quickly as it had come leaving a silent chill that made the pirate unconsciously shiver.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wow this was longer than I expected considering not much really happened. -_-; Anyway I hope it was as enjoyable to read as it was to write and more should be along soon unless I hit a writers block, lol, I hope that won't happen I hate it. Read and Review then people I always like your feedback and comments. Till the next time...


	6. Riding in the Rain

The long corridor was silent and cold. No torches shone to give a guiding glow, but despite this a small figure pottered through the darkness with confident footsteps almost as if he could see the way. He stopped and sniffing noises echoed silently down the empty space. He jumped slightly and carried on his way with a little more urgency in his footsteps. Following close behind flew a large, lean black object that floated on large, quiet wings.

As the small figure moved faster the floating object moved to keep up and as he rounded a corner to make his escape the large black creature connected with his head flapping and cawing madly. The small man let out a squeal as he tried vainly to remove the giant bird. He waved his arms in panic and ran through a half open door squealing like a hurt child.

In side the room was well furnished with dark wood furniture was carved in to ornate floral shapes. Long drapes hung across a large window cutting off any light that may filter from the outside and on the opposite wall was a large marble fireplace. A blazing fire radiated both warmth and light upon the inhabitants who sat hidden by large back armchairs.

Blindly the little man ran into the room screaming and crying waving his arms about in distress as the bird cawed loudly, flapping its wings and raking its dark talons through his hair. The look in the birds beady black eyes was malicious and it seemed to be enjoying the squealing it caused. A gloved hand reached up and clicked its fingers. The bird immediately detached its self and glided towards the chair the hand belonged to, and sat atop of the chair glaring, looking a little irked as it ruffled its feathers irritably.

The little man's bulging eyes glistened as he bowed with his forehead touching the floor, prostrating himself before the people that sat sedately before the fire.

"Thank you master Adren, thank you," he squeaked quaking against the stone floor, "you are most kind."

An exasperated humph came from the chair as Adren leaned forward to stare blankly at the little man his body stiff with repressed anger. A dull orange glow could be seen from with in the slits of the mask. The little man looked up, but quickly regretted it and buried his face in the stone floor again. Adren's fingers tapped the arm of his chair with calculating slowness as he regarded the quivering lump.

"So what news do you have for me," he said in a quiet dangerous voice.

The little man trembled violently. "Well, um, one of the hounds are dead and," he gulped, "The Hollow wraith is dead sir."

The squeak of leather came to his ears as Adren clenched his fists tightly and the orange glow with in the mask intensified, an unsettling silence fell over the room.

"What else," the voice was low and dark.

"Er.. well... umm... you see... I...," the small man stuttered wishing that the floor would open up and consume his quivering body.

Adren growled as he stared disdainfully at the lump that quivered before him. "Spit it out maggot!" he hissed.

"They got away," he said in a squeak. He waited and waited but nothing happened, so he hesitated, then braved to look up. Adren was half out of his chair but a dark, long fingered hand grasped his arm with a strong grip, the nails glinted white in the light.

"What else," Adren growled as he sat back into the chair stiffly.

"Um, they are traveling south and seem to be protected by something unseen," was the uncertain reply and Adren nodded.

"Ah the power of the necklace, doing what ever it can to get back home," he suddenly chuckled darkly making the little man jump, "But not yet I still need to get my hands on it."

"Yes master," the little man sighed in evident relief as his trembling eased as he stood. "Is that all Master?"

"Keep me informed and have the men keep as they are," Adren said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I have something special in mind." The malicious intent in his voice was like a poison sending chills up the small man's spine and he bowed.

"As you wish," he turned and trotted out the door with a relieved sigh, then disappeared into the dark corridor beyond.

Adren sat back into his chair and regarded his companion beside him. The dark skinned hand was lain lightly across the arm of the chair and the fore finger tapped to an unheard rhythm as the person was evidently deep in thought.

"What do you think brother," Adren said a hint of glee in his voice. There was silence for a few moments as Adren watched the fire blaze. Then his companion stirred.

"I will as you ask brother," a deep monotone voice said. There was a hint of dampened spirit in the tone as if he had no choice in the matter.

"I knew you would see it my way dear Emberoka," Adren said with a pleased chuckle. The reply was a mere sigh which went unheard as Adren silently gloated to himself, the crow cawed in reflection of its master's pleasure.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The small party had been traveling fairly slowly as they headed southward. They kept mostly to the wood trails to avoid the larger open dirt roads that would invite unwanted attacks. Sparrow and Lorna were huddled in the back with a blanket drawn close about them as rain poured from the heavens in torrents. Reaver and Garth sat in the driving seat glaring balefully at the road ahead of them that meandered frustratingly through the dark forest. Reaver huffed as water dripped from his limp hair and ran down to drip off his nose. The bull mirrored his weariness as it trudged through the slushy, dark mud that sloshed every time it forced its heavy hoof into the earth.

The two huddled in the back dozed dangerously close to sleep as the damp straw began to smell musty. Reaver peered over his shoulder and snorted contemptuously, then returned to staring heatedly at the road. Garth rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong with you now?" he asked with a hint of annoyance.

Reaver shrugged. "Nothing that was not wrong half an hour ago."

"Don't tell me," Garth chuckled, "Rain, mud, cold and … more rain."

Reaver cast Garth a dark sidelong look and huffed again.

"When I came to Samarkand I did not expect rain," Reaver admitted grudgingly.

"Well the wet season is still four months away," Garth explained, "But we do get the occasional down pour, say, every two to four months prior to the actual wet season." He then looked up at the dark canopy which had hidden the dirty grey clouds from his sight. "Though I would admit it is not usually this heavy."

"You sound concerned," Reaver commented leaning back in the seat to ease his aching muscles.

"Perhaps." Garth peered across with a puzzled frown. With out even looking in his direction Reaver grunted.

"What?"

"To be honest I am not sure," Garth replied looking away his brow furrowed. Reaver shrugged scooping the limp, wet hair and ran his fingers through to keep it out of his face. His hand then moved down to run over his now smooth face devoid of all facial hair, save for the customary little strip just under his lower lip. A pleased noise escaped his throat and Garth chuckled causing the pirate to shoot him a sharp glare; but neither said anything as they trundled further into the forest.

In the back of the cart Lorna stirred against Sparrow's side and slowly eased herself into a sitting position. Her eyes opened and widened to stare blankly into space her body stiffened. Sparrow opened her eyes a fraction to peer curiously at Lorna's back. She reached out to lay her hand on the little girls shoulder but recoiled when a shock raced up her fingers leaving a stinging sensation in her digits. Sparrow stared, stunned at the rigid child before her.

With out warning Lorna leapt with a strangled cry as a explosion rang out through the forest and something zipped over her head. The small girl collided with Reaver pulling him down to the flat of the seat, the projectile narrowly missing them both as it hit a tree with a thud. Thunderous shouts and yells rattled the trees as men charged after the cart waving weapons above their heads.

All three sprung into action as battle ready muscles caused a instinctual reflex. Sparrow swapped places with Garth as both men jumped into the back of the cart. Reaver whipped out his pistol and began to fire as soon as he could aim gunning down many before they had a chance to touch the cart. Garth focused his Will and with well practised ease sword shaped energy darts soared through the air striking down all those Reaver missed. Sparrow grabbed the reigns and pulled Lorna close to her covering the girls head so that she did not have to see any of the death. She cracked the reigns hard across the bull's back causing the beast to lurch forward with a squeal.

The cart thundered down the dirt track jolting dangerously as it clattered and swayed vigourously. Reaver made a angry noise as the cart hit a branch and it jumped then landed with a heavy crunch skidding slightly in the dark mud.

"Can't you keep this bloody wooden crate steady!" Reaver shouted above the noise of the exploding black powder.

"Have you seen this track," she shouted back, "you want a smooth ride, Do it yourself!!"

Reaver did not reply as he concentrated on firing his weapon with the precision he was famed for. Garth shook his head as a wave of fire knocked four men off of their horses.

"Their coming on horse back now," he shouted knocking several more from their mounts.

The roar of a river caught Sparrow's attention and she braved to look across to see, through the branches of the trees, the white of turbulent water. Sparrow's eyes narrowed and she smirked, nodding, "Alright hang on!!"

With a mighty yank on the reigns she managed to curb the powerful beast making it turn, against it's will, round a sharp bend following the course of the river causing the cart to swerve dangerously to the side and it angled alarmingly onto one wheel. It slammed down causing the two to curse.

"Be bloody careful," Reaver roared at Sparrow but she ignored him as she yanked the reigns again trying to avoid a large branch blocking the way. She let out a exclamation as the cart jolted over the branch and a loud crack of splintered wood vibrated through the vehicle. Sparrow turned her head and her mouth fell open as the circular hoop rolled away. Lorna let out a squeal as Sparrow grabbed her and turned in her seat as the cart crashed to the ground.

"Garth!" she cried and with a heave she threw Lorna into the outstretched arms of the wizard just as she tumbled down a bank straight into the roaring river with a colossal splash. As she tumbled blindly into its darkening depths she struck her head on something hard causing a bright light to burst under her eyelids and pain seared through her skull. She let loose a silent scream a rush of bubbles issuing from her mouth but as a consequence water rushed in filling her mouth choking her. All thought left her as she sunk further and darkness clouded her vision.

Something disturbed the surface and a multitude of muffled shouts permeated the rushing water. Sparrow's eyes started to slide close and the last thing she saw was a pair green eyes as an arm wrapped itself round her waist, but then there was cold and darkness.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I apologise if this was a lot shorter than usual but I had a minor writers block with it but I promise the next will be, hmm, more substantial. Thanks to all who reviewed it made me so happy reading your comments. *Squees* Its the best encouragement there is and to know so many people are enjoying my story makes me, again, very happy. So keep those reviews coming and the next chapter will be up soon.


	7. Meet the River Rats

Reaver glared balefully out of the four paned window that looked out onto the slow moving river. The room he stood in was not large, but the wooden walls and floor had warm homely feel. The bed that sat secured to the floor and against one wall had lain upon it a slumbering Sparrow, her head had wrapped around it a bloodied bandage, which was due to be changed. Beside her, curled up like a cat, was Lorna dozing peacefully. Either side of the bed were simple wooden cabinets and on one side, closest to where Reaver stared out of the window, was a little wooden chair.

The door opened and Garth entered with a tray stumbling a little as the boat rocked gently. He set it upon one of the cabinets and opened a small box retrieving a roll of bandage. He looked over at Reaver with a mild expression as he unwrapped a length then turned to the slumbering women lain on the bed.

"Have you been up all night?" Garth asked as he leaned over Sparrow's body and began to carefully unwrap the bloody fabric. Reaver made no comment as he continued to stare out the window lost in his own thoughts.

Garth sighed a little dipping a piece of cloth into a bowl of water that glowed faintly and dabbed it on the fading gash the liquid making a faint hiss as it slowly healed the flesh.

"It's looking better today and there is more colour to her cheeks too," Garth said but this to was only met by silence. The mage shook his head beginning to wrap the woman's head and Reaver turned his head a fraction to watch him as the fabric was bound neatly and Garth cleaned up what mess there was. When he had finished Reaver turned to look out the window once more as he watched the world sail by.

"Reaver, is something wrong?" Garth asked seriously turning to the pirate.

Reaver's scowl deepened. "Nothing I care to speak with you about," he said tartly as he gritted his teeth causing his lower jaw to jut out slightly, making him look more like a sulky child.

Garth sighed again and took the tray, turned, and headed for the door. Just before his hand touched the handle Reaver spoke, the sound no more than a whisper.

"Do you think she will forgive me?" the pirate asked regarding the wizard sadly.

Garth paused a moment as he thought then he smiled gently.

"Depends on how bad you want her too." Reaver gave the man a half hearted glare as he scowled, then he looked down a touch of shame tinting his cheeks as the wizards words sunk in. Garth nodded as if confirming something to himself.

"You've changed Reaver," Garth said and Reaver shot him a death glare his fingers twitching on the handle of his pistol, "for the better I hope." With that he left the fuming Reaver to mutter under his breath, fists clenching and unclenching. With a resigned sigh he slumped into the chair and looked blankly over to the sleeping Sparrow. He huffed and crossed his arms not noticing Lorna's mauve eyes watching him from between half closed lids.

Lorna slowly slid from the bed with a tired little yawn and put a hand on Reaver's knee, staring up at him with wide eyes. Reaver regarded her with a raised eye brow the corners of his lips pinched with distaste, but to his shock Lorna took it upon her self to jump into his lap. She then began to pat his cheek with gentle slaps humming a little to herself. Reaver grimaced taking hold of the small girl and dumped her back on the bed. Unfazed Lorna slid back off and returned to his lap with a huge smile. Reaver sighed in frustration and glared balefully at the small girl.

"Why do you insist on doing things like this, hmm?" he asked and Lorna just stared at him straight faced.

"Because I want too," she replied and then she giggled, "you have a comfy lap."

Reaver stared at her incredulously and sighed. "This is going to be a long evening," he muttered and Lorna giggled.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sparrow stirred groaning as her body shifted causing stiff limbs to protest loudly. Her eyes flittered open and a moan escaped her lips a headache erupting in her skull fit to tear it open. She blinked rapidly as bright light stung her eyes and she looked over to stare into amber eyes. She let out a startled scream as her hand instinctively went to find a weapon that was not there.

A deep, velvety laugh caused her to hesitate just before she could fall off the bed.

"Easy, easy ," a soft accented voice said and Sparrow looked up into a handsome, dark face that looked back with amusement sparkling in his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you." His black hair was braided in a similar fashion to Garth's, but it was tied at the back of his neck with a piece of leather thong and was longer. His face was clean shaven and along his left ear were golden hoops and in the other was a single diamond stud with brightly coloured feathers dangling from it. He wore a simple tunic that was a rich purple with a silver sash and his long black trousers were baggy with similar boots to Reaver. Sparrow blushed and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry," she apologised returning to where she was lying and sat up leaning against the headboard.

"Don't be," he replied, "It is I who should apologise, I did not mean to scare you."

He sat down in a chair beside the bed whilst he poured out brownish liquid from a strange pot with a spout into a simple handleless cup. Sparrow watched curiously as steam rose from the contents.

"I am Corban by the way," he said as he handed the cup too her, "Be careful it will be hot."

Sparrow reached up and took the warm cup and sniffed it gingerly. This caused the Samarkandian to laugh the sound made her blush again.

"I'm Sparrow," she said politely holding out her hand. Corban looked at the extended hand the corner of his lip curled in amusement and took it shaking firmly.

"I know," he said simply causing Sparrow's eyes to widen. "We helped you and your friends fight of the last of those brigands and I pulled you out of the river. Its not a good idea to go swimming in one after a down pour like yesterday, very dangerous. At the moment we are on one of my boats traveling down the Rushara River."

"Thank you," she said in a small voice, but Corban waved his hand indifferently.

"Don't worry about it."

Sparrow sniffed the drink again and hesitantly took a sip. The taste was a bit bitter with a herb like after taste. She liked it though and took another sip gasping when she took to much and scalded her tongue. Corban laughed gently.

"I told you to be careful."

She smiled sheepishly and asked, "We are traveling down the river?"

"Yes," he replied crossing his legs and clasped his hands in his lap, "We are one of the few nomadic tribes that still travel the rivers. Some call us pirates, others scum, I prefer river rats sounds more interesting don't you think."

Sparrow laughed. "Yes it does," she agreed taking another sip, "So are you like the leader or something?"

He paused as he thought about the question and shrugged. "I suppose you could say that, they do tend to come to me when something goes wrong," he said mock seriously, "Mind you I do other stuff, you know the usual, shouting, yelling, ordering, healing, cleaning, cooking, child minding, mending the boats that sort of stuff."

Sparrow could not help but laugh causing the dark man to grin showing white even teeth.

"And occasionally I dance but only for a pretty lady or after few drinks, but then I tend to start singing," he said with a wave of his hand and a grimace, "but I am no a virtuoso believe me."

Sparrow laughed heartily her headache forgotten and Corban leaned forward slightly. "You have a pretty smile."

Sparrow blushed suddenly and stuttered a reply hiding her face in the cup when she took another sip. Corban grinned widely and was about to make a comment on the colour of her blush when the door banged open. In the door way Reaver stood glaring darkly at Corban who regarded the Pirate with mild dislike.

"Ah Reaver," Sparrow sputtered her smile leaving her lips, "How are you?"

"Well, thank you," he said stiffly as he continued to stare at Corban. "How are you?"

"Ah, I feel much better thank you," Sparrow replied sensing the tensions rising in the room. Both men remained glaring at each other until a squeal broke the ice and Lorna bounded in leaping onto the bed to embrace Sparrow tightly. The little girl nuzzled Sparrow then turned to glare at Corban. Corban replied with a friendly smile, but Lorna was not having any of it and stuck out her tongue hiding her face in Sparrow's shoulder. Sparrow smiled apologetically and Corban shrugged.

"No worries," Corban said with a wry smile, "I didn't say I was any good at child minding."

Sparrow giggled a warm smile on her lips as she stroked the small girls velvety hair.

"I'm sure you are wonderful with children," she said with a grin, "It's just that Lorna can be a bit funny around new people."

Corban chuckled and nodded. "I can see that."

Reaver interjected with a cough to remind them both he was still there and they turned to look at him, Sparrow stoic and Corban a heated glare. Lorna looked up from Sparrow's shoulder and she waved to Reaver who bowed a little in her direction. Corban sighed and stood patting down his tunic.

"Well I am off I have things to oversee," he said bowing to Sparrow who inclined her head.

"It was a pleasure to meet you," she said with a smile and he replied in kind with a cheeky wink and grin. Sparrow giggled as he left and as he passed Reaver his smile dropped. They stared at each other for a moment till Reaver stood aside to let him pass. Corban smirked as he passed and a deep loathing encased Reaver.

With a kick of his heel the door snapped shut and a dark sneer of hatred twisted Reaver's lips. Sparrow stared at him blankly and he allowed himself to relax a little as he sat on the end of the bed with a leg cocked over the side as he sat sidelong. He looked over at Sparrow with a raised eyebrow as she continued to stare at him.

"Yes?" he asked nonchalantly.

The sound that escaped her lips was harsh and exasperated.

"Cut to the chase Reaver," she said pointing her finger at him, "You hate him, why?"

Reaver regarded her steadily and frowned. "I just do, what's wrong with that."

"You have to have a reason to hate someone," she said.

"Yes, you should know shouldn't you," he retorted hotly leaning over to glare at Sparrow who returned the stare undaunted.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"What the hell do you think I mean," he half shouted suddenly getting up from the bed.

Sparrow stared at Reaver puzzled by his retort. Realising what he had said Reaver let loose an angry growl and left slamming the door behind him. Sparrow sat on the bed looking all the more confused and Lorna shrugged.

"He's a funny man," she stated and Sparrow could not help but agree with her.

Several days past slowly much like the river upon which the boats floated. For Sparrow it was a pleasant experience having never sailed down a river before. With the administrations she received she was on her feet in no time. Corban's people were generous and kind although she always had this feeling of tension in the air. Reaver, much to her relief, kept his distance to brood moodily usually aboard deck.

Sparrow spent as much time up on deck as she was aloud to glance upon the lush beauty of the world she had found her self in. Corban was also generous and charming. Much to her candour she found herself enjoying his attentions. Although something about him caused a nagging feeling at the back of her mind. She ignored it as she found she could not help herself but laugh at his jokes. A familiar warmth covered her as he spoke and when he looked at her. She always felt so flustered and giggly, much to her surprise. She could not remember the last time she had laughed so freely. For some reason this seemed to annoy Reaver much to her delight.

As the evening began to close, much like one previous, she found herself in the company of Corban, Garth and Lorna who sat beside Sparrow on a stool sewing away on one of her many rag dolls. They were seated round a hearth to ward off the nights chill as the small ship rocked gently. The boats were surprisingly luxurious for river rats as she relaxed into the armchair. Reaver was no where to be seen, but this did not bother Sparrow, his absence was some what a blessing.

Lorna sighed as she half listened to the adults converse between themselves about things she had no wish to know about. The only thing important to her in that moment was finishing her doll. She was so close and hoped it will be a good one. She stuck her tongue out a little as she concentrated on each stitch until finally the last stitch was tied. She broke it with her teeth and slid off the stool. She patted Sparrow on the shoulder and the women turned her head with a gentle smile.

"Yes dear?"

"Am tired can I go to bed please?" she asked in Sparrow's ear as she tried to stifle a yawn. Sparrow giggled and nodded. Lorna smiled pleasantly and bid good night to all but Corban then trotted out the door.

"Strange child," Corban commented and Sparrow agreed.

"Took her ages to say anything to me," Garth commented a little dejectedly.

Sparrow laughed. "She has been opening up a lot more of late," she said looking towards the door with a tender smile.

Lorna paused outside the door and looked down at the Rag doll with a pleased smile. She had just lied to Sparrow just so she could go roam the boat freely. She wanted to find Reaver. She liked Reaver. He was fun to talk too unlike the Corban person. He did not feel right to her and so she skipped off towards the stairs that lead up on deck as that was where Reaver was most likely to be.

As she opened the door and there, for sure, was Reaver leaning on the railing to the starboard side of the ship, staring out into the night. She pottered over to him and tugged on his cloak hiding the doll behind her back. Unsurprised he looked down stoically.

"Yes dear, can I help you?" he asked politely.

She smiled warmly up at the pirate and the corner of Reaver's mouth twitched into a half smile.

"I have a present for you," she said with a grin.

Reaver's eyebrows rose curiously. "Oh really?" he turned with one hand on his hip.

Lorna nodded enthusiastically and pointed to a barrel. "But first, sit."

"Okay," the pirates voice was puzzled but he did as he was told sitting upon the said barrel. Pleased Lorna told him to close his eyes.

"Oh come on, seriously now," Reaver said, but Lorna insisted and relenting he closed his eyes with his hands in his lap. Lorna giggled and turned his hands over then with deliberate care she put the doll in his hands.

"Okay you can open them."

Reaver blinked as he stared at the doll. He turned it over in his hands an almost perfect likeness stared back at him. He drew in a sharp breath as a strange feeling overcame him and his brow creased. Lorna blinked up at him wide eyed.

"Are you okay?" She asked in a small, uncertain voice and he nodded suddenly grinning.

"Its a wonderful doll Lorna," he said brightly, "very well crafted. Have you been doing this a while?"

Lorna clapped her hands delighted that he liked it and nodded. "I have one of Sparrow, wizard man and Gerri." She beamed up at him.

"Whose Gerri?" Reaver asked, as he held the doll in his hands.

Lorna gasped a little and her face fell a little her head drooping so she stared at the floor. Reaver put a hand on her head and was about to ask what was wrong when she looked up with a smile though her eyes seemed shiny.

"He is just one of my dolls that I named," she said her voice trembling a little.

Reaver shook his head and smirked a little patting her head knowing full well that she was lying.

"If you say so poppet," he said and chuckled a little looking at the doll again, "But really I do like it and I will keep it close as it took such effort to make." He smiled down at the little girl who beamed back with a cheery grin. She then yawned making Reaver chuckle.

"As for you young lady shouldn't you be in bed right now," he mock scolded and Lorna looked down coyly.

"Yes sir."

"Does Sparrow know your up here?" he then asked with raised eyebrows.

"No sir," she giggled when Reaver rolled his eyes dramatically and shook his finger at her.

"We haven't been lying, have we?" She shook her head sheepishly and Reaver tutted.

"Naughty, naughty that just won't do," he said pointedly, "as consequence I will have to put you to bed, come on young lady, to bed with you." He slid the doll inside his jacket and picked up Lorna, who squealed with delight and giggled as he slung her over his shoulder, then marched her down below. He marched straight past many of the boats inhabitants who looked on with amused smiles.

Lorna giggled as she begged him to put her down, but he refused kicking open a door. He stared into the room as Sparrow, Garth and Corban jumped to their feet. Reaver blinked and made an amused sound his lips curling into a smirk.

"Oops sorry wrong room," he said not in the least bit apologetic and reached down to grab the handle, "I will be going now." He shut the door and jogged down the corridor to the right room as Lorna filled the corridor with giggles. He opened the right door and set Lorna on her small bunk bouncing lightly on the mattress.

"Silly Reaver," she giggled as she picked up her night dress.

Reaver grinned and gave the young girl a cheeky wink. He went to the door and went to leave when Lorna latched herself to his waist.

"Good night Reaver," she said and he looked back over his shoulder and she detached herself.

"Good night Lorna," and he closed the door with a snap. He paused out side her room his hand reaching to his breast pocket and touched the fabric where it bugled slightly. He shook his head and turned only to be faced by a scowling Sparrow.

"What were you doing with Lorna?" she asked in a crisp tone which Reaver ignored. He waved his hand dismissively.

"Nothing to concern yourself with my dear," he replied just a flinty.

Her scowl deepened as she watched the man saunter down the corridor to a room just off from the hall. With out even looking back he disappeared into his room leaving Sparrow behind. She shook her head and opened Lorna's door a crack peering into the dimly lit room. However Lorna was already curled up under her covers fast asleep. Sparrow smiled tenderly and shut the door leaving her to sleep. Lorna's eyes opened a fraction to stare at the door a small smile on her face as she closed her eyes again.

Reaver sat onto the edge of his own small bunk staring at the doll. That feeling he had always hated was consuming him again. He really needed to get to a more urban setting and soon. All this lovey-dovey behaviour is starting to make him nauseous and the more time he spent with that child the more found himself liking her. He hated children so messy and noisome, they were hardly worth the trouble, and yet why was Lorna so special? Why did he have this over whelming urge to protect her?

His hand clenched the doll tightly and he was about to throw it across the room when stopped. He looked at the doll again and sighed in frustration.

"I blame them both," he muttered as he lay on his back the doll still in hand.

The next morning was bright and cheery much like the day before. Sparrow rose from the bed and dressed then slowly meandered her way through the narrow corridor's below deck to where Lorna's room was. She knocked on the door and waited, but no one responded. Puzzled she opened the door thinking that she must be still asleep, which would be strange as she always up at this hour any way. When she peered in side she nearly screamed. The bunk was empty and panic began to rise.

Further down the corridor a door banged open noisily and giggles echoed down the corridor.

"It's not funny!" a tired, annoyed voice chided, but this was only met by another giggle.

A very flustered Reaver, wearing nothing but a tunic and short trousers, strode down the corridor and when he saw Sparrow he stopped with a light frown. Under his arm was none other than Lorna who looked up at Sparrow sheepishly, but nevertheless giggled childishly.

An unsettling silence fell between them as Sparrow stared hard at Reaver. Lorna looked between the too looking a little guilty. Sparrow clenched her jaws as a wave of jealousy washed over her and she rigidly pointed to the room. With a toss of his head he entered and put Lorna back on the bed. Wordlessly he left again slamming the door to his room behind him. Sparrow entered after and closed the door behind her lighting a oil lamp on the wall.

She began to pull out clothes for Lorna who sat on the bunk, cross legged, and watched the women timidly sensing the emotions filtering off of Sparrow.

"Sorry," she said in a meek voice and Sparrow sighed.

"What were you doing in his room?" Sparrow asked gently unfolding a dress.

Lorna thought about it and smiled a little. "I just wanted to say good morning."

Sparrow shook her head and turned to regard the girl seriously. "Please don't do that again, I came in and nearly... never mind that just don't do it again."

Lorna bowed her head and nodded. "Sorry Sparrow."

The women sighed and smiled despite herself. She leaned down and kissed the little girl on top of the head, then went to the door. She turned to look at the little girl unable to help but feel love and affection. She chuckled.

"I will meet you in the dining room Okay." Lorna nodded sliding off the bunk to get ready. With a curt nod of confirmation Sparrow left walking down the corridor. Something tapped her on the shoulder and she turned slightly, then smiled brightly.

"Ah Morning Corban I hope we did not disturb you?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I was up already," he then yawned widely, "Oops sorry don't know where that came from."

Sparrow chuckled. "Shall we go for breakfast?" she asked with a shy smile and Corban thought about it a moment then grinned.

"Of course as long as there is fruit," he stated seriously, "I like fruit in the morning." He then began to rub his hands playfully. Sparrow laughed and rolled her eyes as she followed him through. Behind them Reaver watched detachedly as his green eyes flashed dangerously. He turned to enter his bedroom once more cutting himself off from the rest of the boat.

When Lorna was finally dressed she trotted into the small room that they used for eating. She stopped when she saw Sparrow chatting merrily with Corban. Her blood suddenly ran cold and she felt sick. She shook her head and made to move but her feet would not move. Under her tunic the necklace vibrated gently against her bare chest. Confused she put her hand over the spot a tingling sensation raced up her fingers. A firm hand on her shoulder made her jump slightly and she looked up into Garth's glowing eyes. The old man looked down with a concerned smile.

"Are you all right young one?" She nodded as her stomach growled. Garth laughed and patted her shoulder.

"This way," he said guiding her to the table that Sparrow sat at and she climbed into the chair next to the tall women. She reached out and grabbed some strange shaped fruit that Garth cut for her. She then grabbed what she thought was toast but when she bit into it, it crunched loudly and it was dry and tasteless, she grimaced and sputtered flakes spraying from her mouth.

Garth chuckled. "That is rye bread," he explained, "And you usually have something with it."

He held up a piece that was on his plate and it had a piece of sliced fruit on and Lorna made a funny face. Garth chuckled and cleaned the mess she made on the table. He handed her which she took gratefully and gulped to get rid of dry dust in her mouth. She instead began to eat the fruit given to her the sticky juice running down her fingers.

Reaver entered looking a bit more presentable although he had not bothered to don his cloak. Lorna waved and he smiled despite himself as he grabbed a couple of round fruits with dark red skins. He sat opposite Garth making sure to have at least a seat between himself and Corban. The Samarkandian looked up curiously, but Reaver refused to admit he existed as he drew a small blade from his boot and began to peel the fruit sucking on its tender flesh.

Sparrow watched with a sigh as a frosty silence settled and she looked at Corban with another apologetic smile. He shrugged and smiled.

"Can't please everyone," he said biting heartily into an apple like fruit. Sparrow nodded in resignation as she ate. One of the deck hands patted on the shoulder and Corban looked up.

"Ah Corban, Justam wants to see you."

Corban sighed and rolled his eyes, shrugging. "No rest for the wicked," he chuckled and Sparrow chuckled. "I apologise dear lady but we must cut this short."

Sparrow blushed lightly and waved him away, so he left with a grin. Reaver cast the women a dark sidelong look which she ignored as she helped Lorna with some cereal.

Upon deck a young man stood staring at the bank with a telescope in one hand. Corban came up beside him and he looked at the younger man in consternation. Justam held the telescope to his senior who took and looked through it where the boy pointed. Through the glass he could see, closer than he wanted, men in dark clothing scouting the bank. He cursed shaking his head.

"Looks like we will have to beach early." The young man nodded and coughed a little.

"Also on the other bank," he turned pointing a hint of fear in his voice, "There was a very large feline prowling along the edge. I am not sure but I think it was watching us."

Corban frowned. "What did it look like?"

Justam thought for a moment. "It was sandy coloured, with a black stripe down its spine to its tail tip which was white," he concentrated a bit as he tried to remember anything else, "Ah and it had white paws and strange red flecks on its flank."

Corban nodded seemingly unsurprised by this report and he looked up a dark speck circled high above. He made a disgusted face and muttered.

"I hate crows."

"Sorry?" The young man asked cocking his head curiously.

Corban shook his head and smiled assuringly. "Nothing, keep a closer eye out, I need to go below." With that he turned to walk down below leaving Justam to stare after him in mild confusion. He turned to one of his ship mates and shrugged returning to look through the telescope.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Another one, am so proud of myself and I really like this one as I was trying to cement more of a relationship between Lorna and Reaver as it will be important later as is everything in this chapter really. I can't wait for your reviews it makes me so happy to read them and thank you to all those who review readily, Piraticaly-Insane being one. Not sure when the next will be up because it being christmas and all but all my Read MERRY CHRISTMAS!!


	8. Back to Civilisation

Sparrow stood upon the deck staring at the on coming sandy shore. Garth and Reaver stood at her sides and yet the group did not feel quite whole. With Hammer missing it left a gap not just in the group, but also with Sparrow. She did so miss the gossip and talk with one of her own gender and age. She missed the large women and wondered what she was doing at that moment so far to the north, when she was so far to the south. Her blue eyes trailed over river side shrubbery their broad, thick and shiny leaves amazed her. Even the trees, though not very tall, held similar quality of leaves. Garth muttered about making arrangements with Corban leaving the pirate and warrior standing nervously side by side.

Sparrow looked at the tall man only just then realising that they were almost the same height with only a few millimeters difference. Reaver looked at her questioningly and she huffed turning away again. Reaver rolled his eyes and shrugged to himself.

"So," Reaver said shifting a little uncomfortably.

"So... what?" was the reply as Sparrow's eyes never left the river bank.

"You like Corban?" It was more like a statement than a question and Sparrow's eye twitched.

"I respect him."

"Oh rea-lly," Reaver's eyebrow rose delicately and he turned slightly to regard her, "Is that what it's called these days."

Sparrow's face darkened and restrained her self from leaping on the pirate to tear him limb from limb.

"I merely respect him because," she stressed the last word, "He saved us and especially me."

"What do you mean, especially you," Reaver commented, "If I remember he did nothing, I know, I was present."

"He said he saved me from the river," Sparrow said, "Or didn't you notice me drowning."

Reaver's eyes went wide as a wash of emotions ebbed and flowed over his face like the ocean tide growing more fearsome as they became more turbulent. Reaver gritted his teeth and let loose a low growl as his hand flew to his pistol, and whipped it from its holster. Sparrow gasped and cried out grabbing the pistol.

"Let go!" Reaver shouted, "I'm going to shoot him that bastard."

"No Reaver! Don't you dare!"

They fought back and forth neither relenting to the other. All eyes turned to them with worried glances, but none made a move to help. Back and forth, back and forth the pistol moved until an explosion ricocheted over the deck. Reaver and Sparrow stared at each other in horror then both glanced up wards. Reaver grew angry again and took the opportunity to wrench the weapon from the woman's grasp.

"Now look what you made me do," he scolded, "You made me go off prematurely." Ignoring her he inspected his beloved weapon for any damage.

"Well," she murmured just loud enough for him to hear lips twitching, "You shouldn't of gotten over excited." Sparrow clasped her hands over her mouth as muffled sounds forced their way through the gaps of her fingers. The skin about her eyes creased as her eye brows furrowed. Her shoulders shook as with repressed giggles and Reaver stopped, frozen a moment as the words sunk in, and he stared at her with a mixture of horror and amusement. He then began to chuckle the weapon hanging loosely in his hand at his side.

"I'm sorry, I Don't know what came over me," he said with an indifferent wave of his hand. It was more than Sparrow could bare and her merry laughter danced across the deck. She hugged her self for fear she may flying apart and she leaned dangerously forward. Reaver's own laughter joined hers as he gripped her shoulder to stop her falling over. The rest of the crew stared in confusion but with relieved sighs went back to work.

"Your terrible!" Sparrow accused breathlessly as she struggled to keep herself under control.

"Me!" Reaver cried incredulously, "Your the one who replied if you hadn't neither would be the wiser."

Sparrow's youthful blues danced in merriment. "I know I'm sorry," she quickly apologised, "I couldn't help myself."

Reaver smiled genuinely as his gloved hand slid up to cup her cheek, but then he suddenly looking serious. Sparrow blinked her eyes widening and in her chest she could feel her heart skip a beat.

"It was not Corban that saved you," he said, "It was..."

"Hey we're about to disembark," Corban interrupted scowling over at the two, "You need to get your stuff."

As Reaver gazed into Sparrow's eyes he noticed them glaze. She pushed him away suddenly and wordlessly went to do as Corban instructed. Puzzled Reaver stared after her and his eyes slid over to where Corban stared back with a dark, menacing scowl. He clenched his fist and punched it into his side his quick mind working as he defiantly stared back. Then, as if his feet moved of their own volition, he approached the dark skinned Samarkandian and stared up at him, despite him being a head taller he refused to be daunted by it. He stubbornly glared drawing close enough that their chest's nearly touched. Corban glowered down at him with little emotion shown on the muscles of his face.

"If you dare hurt her or the child Lorna a bullet between the eyes will be the least of your worries," Reaver said in a dangerous voice, the Samarkandian hardly flinched.

"Are you threatening me Pirate?" Corban asked calmly.

"No, merely stating a fact," Reaver replied flippantly and he turned gracefully leaving Corban to watch him stride confidently away sliding the pistol back in its holster. He sighed his amber eyes gazing skyward for a few seconds then he shook his head dejectedly.

When all was ready the small group slid from the barge like boat and rowed to shore in a small rowing boat. They then stood upon the shore waving good bye to the slowly disappearing ship as it floated away. Silently they gathered the bags and slung across their shoulders preparing for a long trip on foot to the nearest town. Lorna trotted beside Sparrow taking in the world around her with her mauve eyes remembering all that she saw.

The forest track was narrow and surrounded on either side by bushes with spiky, long leaves. Quite the contrast to the river bank and even the trees seemed a little different, but what disturbed Sparrow a little was the over whelming feeling of being watched. She looked over her shoulder and Corban glanced at her curiously then smiled. She smiled back then turned away with a faint blush.

The trail was long and meandered almost directionless through the forest the noises of insects buzzed around them as birds trilled over head. Garth was at the front using his will to cut down any large branches in the way followed by Reaver, Lorna, Sparrow and Corban who brought up the rear. The heat was bearable, but was oppressive and hung in the air like a heavy blanket making it rather hard to breath. It was not long until Reaver began to complain loudly.

"This is taking forever," he said in frustration, sweat glistening over his tanned skin, as he hacked at a bush with a short sword one of the river folk had given him, "How far away in this bloody town anyway."

Sparrow clapped her hands over Lorna's ears and scowled at the pirate. "Mind you language Reaver."

Reaver looked over his shoulder at the small girl then up at the protective women and shrugged.

"She will pick it up eventually," he said off handedly, "besides can you blame me I am feeling repressed."

"What in the world do you mean?" Sparrow stared at the pirate with a frown.

"I have not had sex in nearly a month," he cried hacking at another bush and Sparrow's immediate response was to clap her hands over Lorna's ears again, "and the worst is Him, his almighty Will user, user-ness..." He jerked his sword in Garth's direction. "...would not let me touch any of those lovely young ladies back on the boat!"

"Not much farther now," Garth assured ignoring the rant, but Reaver did not believe a word, "And please keep your voice down."

"No," Reaver hacked once, "I," twice, "Bloody well," thrice, "Will not!" He stopped glaring red faced at the mage who calmly walked away and Sparrow, with Lorna, walked past him refusing to look in his direction. Corban stopped by his shoulder shaking his head.

"You sir, should learn some restraint," with that he left the fuming Reaver glowering darkly at his back. Reluctantly he followed through the brush sweat now dripping his face.

"I should have left when I had the chance," he muttered, "To much hassle for their own good. This is why I work for my self."

"What was that!" a voice called back to him. He looked up and sneered sarcastically making mimicking motions knowing that the others could not see him.

"Nothing," he called back, "just cursing your name." He said in a quieter voice and continued to follow.

They stopped when there was a sudden break in the foliage and a long dirt road ran from west to east. Garth conferred with Corban and they agreed to go left down the road, which lead further into the dense foliage of the forest. They followed it down and the signs of humans became more apparent as deep ruts in the earth appeared, evidence of cart wheel tracks. Mixed in with them were the hoof, paw and foot prints of people. Sparrow's heart soared at the thought and longed to have a proper bed that did not move. As they rounded the bend the quiet murmur of voices filtered through to them and a dog like creature trotted out of the bush then loped down the road. It was closely followed by a tall man of wiry build and he wore a piece of cloth about his waist resembling more of a skirt than trousers. He was thus bare chested and his dark hair sat upon his head in tightly bound strands most notably dreadlocks. He grinned widely and approached using the same language to converse animatedly with Garth. Garth grinned and nodded appearing to thank the man. He turned to the others and beckoned them with his hand.

"We are in luck," he said, "Come, there is a tavern with rooms in the town."

Sparrow let out a sigh of relief and followed dutifully with Lorna's hand gripped firmly in hers. She longed to get these packs of her back and rest. The heat was was permeating her dark hair and her mind was beginning to feel fuzzy. She looked down at Lorna who happily trotted beside her in Sparrow's shadow. She had in one arm, held close, one of rag dolls. _Alright for some,_ Sparrow thought as she followed. Behind her and Corban Reaver brought up the rear muttering to himself. He really was not enjoying this trip and the sooner they got to the town the better.

As they followed the stranger the town slowly emerged out of the forest. Much like the harbour the sandy coloured stone houses seemed to be of only one storey. Streets and alleys ways twisted and turned as they broke of from the main road that ran the towns very centre. Either side of the street were stalls similar to that back in albion with the vendors calling out their wares. Far on the skyline of buildings was a larger structure. Its centre building was domed and painted gold with smaller buildings with smaller domes surrounding it. Sparrow's curiosity peeked and watched it loom. Garth noticed her staring at it and grinned.

"That is a library of sorts," he explained, "But they also deal with magical items and artefacts."

"Really?" Sparrow tilted her head bemused.

"Yes and that is my first stop after the tavern for obvious reasons," he inclined his head and Sparrow nodded.

"That's a good idea," she conceded, "See if you can gleam any information from, well, anything."

Garth smiled and nodded. They continued to follow the stranger down the bustling street staying fairly close together just incase they got separated. Corban pointed out various stalls and Sparrow's eyes gleamed as they fell upon their wares. As he turned to look on a vegetable stall her eyes slid over a stall and upon it was something that glittered in the small black box. Lorna watched disinterestedly as Sparrow stared down at it and her mouth fell open as she stared upon a silver band ring. A sapphire blue stone sat embedded in the slim band as engraved floral patterns danced and twirled about the stone. A certain longing over came her and she new her female instincts to buy what she didn't need was becoming apparent. She knew then she could not buy even if she had not treated her self in a long time, but the thought was appealing. She sighed dejectedly and as she was about to pull away when the trader pounced upon her chatting wildly in his native tongue. The words washed over her and frightened she tried to back away with Lorna, trying to convey the fact she could not understand a word he said. She suddenly felt an wrap about her shoulder and a hand clasp her arm. She froze momentarily, looking up to see Reaver glaring darkly at the trader. The trader stopped immediately and smiled apologetically backing away when he spotted the pistol in the pirates hands. Reaver smirked and guided Sparrow away her eyes still trying to see the ring. She sighed and with a flick she pushed off Reaver's hand.

"You know you did not have to threaten him," she chided but the pirate merely shrugged.

"A silent threat is an universal language," he told her with a smirk, "Seeing a drawn pistol with the wielder glaring at you basically means he will shoot you."

"Ah Whatever," she shrugged as Lorna held her hand smiling. Corban soon joined them with his head tilted curiously.

"Is every thing all right?" he asked as he walked beside them. Reaver said nothing, but Sparrow happily told him what happened with the trader. Corban smiled and explained that traders here could be very pushy. They eventually came across the tavern hidden around the corner from a general store. They walked through a glass door with iron bent and shaped to resemble a vine with several small flowers at the end of the branches. Sparrow gasped in wonder and inspected the craftsmanship. The glass was a wondrous red, almost pink colour and inside was pristine and immaculate. The bar was curved as it reached round one corner of the room directly from the door with high stools sat in front of it. To the right was a grand fire place with the chimney breast visible as it disappeared into the ceiling. Several smaller round tables filled the expansive space with a mixture of two to four chairs whilst around the edge of the opposite corner to the bar was a long wooden bench.

As they all walked they were greeted by a cheery short man with an rather large belly. He laughed and it wobbled amusingly. His sparkling dark eyes noted that most of them were foreign and much to Sparrow's relief spoke her own language.

"Ah welcome," he said in the familiar accent, "I welcome you to the White Elephant Tavern, I am its owner Sahail and what may be your pleasure."

Reaver made a snort and Sparrow hit him in the gut causing him to expel a gush of air. Corban approached and greeted the owner respectfully.

"We require some rooms do you have any spare?" he asked earnestly and the owner, Sahail, nodded with a grin.

"I have many rooms," he said, "What would you like two room for you gentlemen," he indicated Corban and Garth, "And a separate room for the family?" His small eyes widened happily as he looked to Sparrow with Lorna stood in front of her and Reaver. Sparrow's mouth fell open in disgust whilst Reaver sniggered. Lorna blinked and looked up at the two adults a strange expression crossing her delicate features. She looked away hiding her face in the doll.

"OH no they are not a family," Corban said hurriedly whilst Garth quietly laughed behind him. The owner's face fell a little and bowed awkwardly.

"My sincere apologise dear lady I did not realise," he said forlornly.

Sparrow's cheeks burned and she waved it aside dismissively. "That's all right."

"Then I will give you a three bed and two bed is that reasonably?" he then asked.

"I would much rather have a room of my own, with a large bed if possible," Reaver then said speaking up and Garth turned to stare at him.

"Your paying for it."

"No doubt," Reaver muttered and Sahail looked at him curiously but shrugged suddenly smiling warmly.

"Of course you may." Reaver grinned widely.

They haggled over the price for about half an hour and were finally shown to their rooms. All were on the first storey much to Sparrow's surprise. When the door opened to hers she immediately dropped the bags and stood straight to ease her weary muscles. Lorna trotted in behind her an began to inspect the room quietly opening doors and lifting sheets. Sparrow smiled warmly and looked around the room.

It was of fair size, not that she would of minded if it were small, with the two single beds on the opposite wall facing the door. To her right was a door and between the beds was a tall narrow window the light pouring through to shine upon the rug that sat upon a cold stone floor. She slowly ambled over to door and opened it to peer into a small, narrow bathroom. The slim tube did not look like it would fit a person especially as curvaceous as herself. This worried her little as she wanted a nice relaxing bath. Above the deep tub was a stone shelf and much to her amazement a row of jars filled with coloured salts. She reached out and took one, then opened it to sniff the fragrance deeply. She grinned excitedly but put it back when a knock on the door caught her attention. She trotted out and went to open the door but Lorna had got there first. A dark skinned women stood at the threshold with a warm smile and in her hands were towels. She held them out to Sparrow who took them gratefully. They bowed to each other and Sparrow said thank you even though she was not sure the women would have understood.

She turned to Lorna quickly kicking of her boots. "Ok dear I am going to have a bath," she told the little girl who nodded, "I won't be long, if the someone knocks ask who it is first and if its astranger don't open the door okay." Lorna nodded again and watched as Sparrow stripped from her dirty clothes, then wrapped her self in one of the soft towels. She dropped the clothing on the bed then trotted back into the bathroom. She turned the taps, water gushing from them, and grabbed one jar, sniffed it, decided she did not like it then grabbed another one. She did this until she found one she liked and tipped nearly quarter of the jar into the tub. She watched mesmerised as foam and bubbles erupted from the water covering the surface in a pearly white cloud of foam. Sparrow had never seen anything like it and dipped her hand amongst the bubbles experimentally. Determining that it would not eat her flesh, she turned off the taps grimacing slightly when she saw how filled the tub was, dropped the towel and slowly eased her protesting body. As she did so the flower like fragrance filtered up around her. As she sunk low she inhaled deeply feeling the warm water ease the muscles and take away the stress of that day with it. The scent soothed her mind and a smile crept to her lips as she relaxed.

Inside the room Lorna was rummaging through the bags with Sparrow's clothing in and pulled out a long black skirt. She trotted over to the bed closest to the bathroom and laid it upon the covers carefully. She then returned to the bag to find a top to go with it. As she rummaged the door squeaked open and her head shot up, but she sighed when a familiar head popped in.

Reaver looked around the room disinterestedly.

"Where's Sparrow?" he asked curiously and Lorna silently pointed to the door.

"She's having a bath."

Reaver's eyes suddenly glittered and a mischievous grin appeared on his handsome face.

"Oh really?" he asked, "She is, is she?" He entered the room and slowly sauntered over to the door trying to not make a sound as he approached the door. Lorna gasped when she realised what he intended to door, her hands covering her mouth.

"She will be mad Reaver," Lorna whispered fearfully, but Reaver waved his hand dismissively.

"That will last a day," he said with a grin.

He leaned close to the door listening intently as his gloved hand enclosed round the handle. Lorna watched breathlessly as she thrust the door open. A scream echoed through the room closely followed by merry laughter. Sparrow had shot up in the tub and water sloshed all over the floor bubbles flying as she instinctively covered her body. Reaver grinned as he wiped some of the foam from his overcoat.

"Hello Sparrow," he greeted and Sparrow glared at him darkly.

"Get out you perverted Son of a --"

"Uh ahh Lorna is in the other room so mind your language," he teased. Sparrow screamed again and he caught a heavy jar that hit his chest with a dull thunk. He blinked in surprise when it rattled and he looked into it with a curious eyes.

"Salts?"

"Get out!"

"All right I just came to say I will be gone all evening so don't wait up for me." He went to close the door a huge smirk on his face. _She maybe mad but it was worth it,_ he thought.

"Oh no you don't," she said jumping out and grabbed the towel as fast as she could muster more water sloshing, staining the floor.

"You what?" was the reply as he turned back to see a towel glad Sparrow her damp hair clinging to her face and neck. His eyebrow rose as he regarded her eyes roaming. She clicked her fingers to get his attention and make him look at her face.

"I won't you to look after Lorna," she told him pushing past to her room.

"What!? When was this decided... why?" he protested letting the door go.

"I want to look at the market with Corban so you have to look after her."

"Why can't Garth do it?" Reaver whined in a childish tone.

"Because he is already gone to the library," she said grabbing the clothes laid out for her, "Thank you honey."

Reaver made a noise of disgust and dumped the jar on the bed in frustration the contents spilling over the cover. He sighed in exasperation.

"Fine," he conceded, "but you owe... and I am to collect this time."

"What do you mean by that!" she scoffed, "I have already saved you silly arse more times than I can count."

Lorna listened to them argue for a moment then sighed looking down at her rag doll that was sat in her lap. She petted its hair with a sad smile and a door snapped shut silence falling. She looked up to see Reaver with a red face and arms crossed as he pouted like a child. She smiled sweetly and he huffed looking else where in the room.

When Sparrow entered once more strange gurgling noise filtered in after her and she dumped the wet towel on the bed. She quickly comb her damp hair styling it so that it was clipped into a flat bun. She smiled at her reflection and turned patting down her tunic. She strode to the bed Lorna sat on and leant down to kiss the girl on the head assuring her she would not be long, then left casting Reaver a Frosty glare. He sighed and looked down at Lorna speculatively. The door snapped shut leaving the child and the pirate alone.

"Well my dear," he finally said, "What am I going to do with you."

She shrugged and grinned. "Something fun?"

He chuckled and walked to the window to peer through it. Down in the street he could se two familiar figures walk slowly down the street. His eyes narrowed, but then he grinned turning to Lorna.

"I think I have an idea," he said, "And you can help me." He beckoned her to follow him and with out question she slid from the bed, and took his hand as they left the room.

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Sorry this took a while I went to my Pakistani friends pre-wedding party and she has been bugging me for days bless her, was so nervous. Anyway this took a while to write and I hope you all enjoy it. Also thank you to all those you reviewed and hope people will continue to do so ^^


	9. The Alley Cat

Reaver strolled out of the tavern with a thoughtful expression. Beside him Lorna looked up with mild curiosity and tried to keep pace as best she could with the pirate as he nosed a round the stalls. He spoke eloquently with many of the residence who seem to blush every time he spoke. Lorna stared in wonder as she followed. When they stopped by one stall she tugged lightly on his trousers.

"Reaver?"

Reaver sighed but did not look down. "Ye-s?"

"I did not know you could speak their language," she said in amazement. The statement made him chuckle as coins changed hands and a small package slid into his pocket.

"I have been on this continent for five years, I would eventually pick up a few words here and there," he smirked to himself as he strolled to the end of the stall then looking back he saw that the trader was occupied. He looked down at the stall and grinned, his hand reached out and slid something from the table into his pocket. He walked away with out the trader being none the wiser and Lorna looked at him shocked.

He ignored the expression as they continued to walk down the road. Lorna swept her purple gaze over the people and she spotted a man with a small boy. The boy was jumping at the man who laughed, then reached down to put the boy on his shoulders. A wistful look crossed her face and she looked at Reaver as he chatted with a young lady. A certain longing crossed her and she reached out to the pirate to tug his cloak once more, but the pirate moved forcing the small girl to trot to catch up.

Lorna lost her sense of time as they walked and blinked in surprise when she found herself wandering the alley ways. The dark shadows made her flesh creep and fear made her quiver. Knowing the pirate was just there was of little comfort, but nevertheless she reached out to him to grab his arm. Reaver looked down and made a face, he really hated children.

"Why are we walking in the alley's?" she asked in small fearful voice. Reaver looked down at her at her scared little face and something at the back of his mind tugged. He similarly ignored it and continued round a corner.

"Well my dear, I always hate being in a place with out an escape route," he explained, "and so I take at least a small amount of time to assess the place and come up with a few escape plans. Simple really."

Lorna nodded and understood what he meant. She paused to think to herself then with a look of determination she nodded once more. As she followed Reaver she paid special attention to how things were laid out. At first it all seemed random, but then she started to notice a pattern in the layout of how the buildings were set in. She then felt a light breeze caress her face tussling her hair with a gentle hand. Her eyes widened as she made a realisation. She sped up to close the gap between her and Reaver, reaching out tug his cloak. The pirate looked down with a look of irritation.

"What is it now?" he asked in exasperation as he stopped to regard a cross section of allies.

"Well, um, is the river nearby?" she asked tilting her head up so she stared at him with wide, purple eyes.

Reaver raised a curious eyebrow. "Yes," he replied simply.

"With a lake?" she eyes grew even wider.

A certain curiosity bubbled up in him as he stared back. "Yes, why do you ask?"

Lorna smiled brightly and Reaver cringed inside. "Then am right."

"Well that's much to ones perception of whats right or not," Reaver retorted feeling irritated, "Well out with it girl, I can't stand to see you gloat."

Lorna giggled. "Well at first I thought it was strange how the alley ways seemed almost random," she began, "but then I realised they weren't" She balled her fist and smacked it against her palm in a matter of fact motion, her face determined and serious. "They follow an exact pattern that's almost exactly the same as the isometric designs I saw on the buildings. They follow a definite course. I then began to wonder why this was until I felt a breeze and it clicked. Its a way to keep the whole city cool." She exclaimed, smiling happily. "The way the buildings are arranged makes the breeze from the lakes and river flow in a certain way to cause a air current that flows circular." She clapped her hands as she grinned.

Reaver's jaw dropped. This was the first time he had ever heard anyone, let alone a ten year old, speak so intelligently and he admitted he was not quite sure what she meant, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt.

"Really?" he replied uncertainly. "That's nice."

Lorna grinned happily whether his words were meant to be praise or sarcasm. Reaver gave her a calculating frown before beckoning her to follow. As they walked the houses suddenly stopped and in front of them were larger blocks with hardly any window and a single double door entrances. To Lorna it looked like it could fit some of the house inside with ease, just like building blocks.

"Ahh warehouse," Reaver said with a hint of satisfaction and a glint sparkled in his green eyes as he beheld them. Beside him Lorna looked up with eye brows raised completely disinterested.

"Warehouses?"

"Yes dear, where traders store their goods..."

"I know what a ware house is Reaver," Lorna told him pointedly and Reaver's face fell a little but it was quickly replaced with exasperation. He noted that her tone sounded remarkable like Sparrow's. _Result of spending so much time with the women,_ he surmised, _poor girl._

"Indeed," was his reply as he approached them rubbing his hands a little. Lorna sighed when she realised what he possible wanted. "Pirates," she muttered solemnly and followed regardless. She suddenly stopped when something vibrated against her collar bone. Her finger tips went to the necklace and fear erupted in her chest. She grabbed Reaver with out hesitation and tugged at his arm her small voice whimpering fearfully in her throat as a deep sense of dread crept into her bones.

"What's wrong with you, you silly girl," Reaver chided trying to wrench his arm out of the small girls grip. Tears stung her eyes as she let out a squeak.

"We have to go Reaver!" she told him in a near scream.

"What in Albion is your problem!" Reaver tugged his arm when a click made his ears twitch, beside him Lorna froze, still as a marble statue.

Silence reigned amongst the warehouses until all of a sudden a gunshot rang true and lead shot whizzed past his ear. Taking out his pistol he aimed blindly at where the shot had come from and fired. The bullet flew true and much to his satisfaction a disembodied cry and thud made him smirk.

"Please Reaver," Lorna squealed returning to her senses, "we have to go!"

More shots ran out and one clipped Reaver on the shoulder. He let loose a low growl and gritted his teeth. Lorna squealed again but Reaver ignored the small child's protest as he fired again. Men dressed in dark clothing began to creep out of the alleys and warehouses like insects as the slowly began to surround the pair. To Reaver's horror he realised that the odds were really against him this time.

"Please Reaver," the small girl pleaded, "He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day!"

"Never a truer word spoken." Reaver conceded her words to be true and grabbed her instinctively, then bolted as fast as his legs could carry them both despite the stabbing pain in his shoulder. Lorna looked at the blood steeped jacket and put a hand on it. A low purple glow surrounded her hand. Reaver was to busy to even notice the pain disappear as adrenaline kicked in. Lorna felt a wave of sickness pass over her and she gripped the Pirates jacket with as much strength as she could muster. She looked around and stared in shock. The men were quickly gaining on them but the alley's proved to narrow and they stumbled over each other in a frenzy to capture their prey. This thought chilled her worse than her sudden weakening of body.

"Go left," Lorna said in his ear. Reaver gave her a odd look. "Trust me, go right and it will be a dead end."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me please," she retorted and as they skidded round the corner he took left and dashed down the jagged alley leaping nimbly over garbage and debris that was strewn across the alley way. His lungs began to scream and his legs ached but he dared not stop. For some reason the thought of the girls protection came precedence over all else. He wrestled with the idea but it only gave him a headache right at the time when he needed it to be clear. He decided to relent this time to it but vowed to re-evaluate his thought processes at a later point. If he was not mistaken he could feel a small sense of satisfaction in the back of his mind, but chose to ignored that too; running seemed a bit more important.

As he came round another corner indicated by Lorna he came skidding to a halt. He panted heavily and swallowed staring before him in horror. Lorna protested loudly that they were finally pulling away, but stopped when she saw his expression. She looked where his eyes were held by the largest cat she had ever seen and just by sitting it seemed almost as tall as Reaver, and the pirate was not exactly small. It sat on its haunches staring at them with intent and intelligent white eyes that glowed. Its heavily muscled body was covered in a short, course sandy coloured fur with a thicker ruff about its jaws which was white flecked with red. Along its back was a long thin black stripe that ran the length of its body to its tail which was tipped with white, the same with its rounded ears. Its sandy flank was also flecked with thin red markings. It just sat there calmly regarding them with a solemn recognition and Reaver shivered.

Lorna stared at it pain crept over her heart as they locked eyes. She whimpered as a tear streaked down her cheek. Reaver jerked when it moved and stood on its massive paws revealing the length of its muscled body.

"I think its going to let us pass," Lorna whispered in small voice and Reaver nodded slowly edging his way passed the monster of a cat. As they inched passed the cat's bright eyes watched them pass as the pursuers were closing in blocking the alley way in a dense wall of black. When they were passed it surged forward and with a colossal, earth shattering roar it broke through the wall of black like a flash of yellow lightning. The men fell back with cries of pain and fury, as the vicious animal tore through flesh and bone, with wet sickening crunches of bone and sinew. Blood spattered the walls and floor baptising it with its crimson brilliance. Lorna watched over Reaver's shoulder with a blank fascination as a small sapphire glow illuminated her chin and Reaver's shoulder as he fled from the scene.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sparrow enjoyed wondering around the market with Corban. It was so pleasant to talk with someone who was not trying to make suggestive passes every few minutes. Even as they chatted about his home land Sparrow could not help but feel a loss of presence. At first she thought it was the happy smile of Lorna she was missing, but to her grievance it was Reaver. Despite his arrogant swagger she missed him. She dared not say this to Corban for fear of hurting the dark man's feelings. It was odd to think about, but even as she smiled and conversed she could not shake the feeling.

As the day slowly drew into evening Sparrow stopped by the stall that she had ring at earlier. As her blue eyes scanned the wares her heart sank. The ring she had spied earlier was gone. She sighed sadly and left it with a sweep of her skirts. She took Corban's arm and he looked down at her downcast face with a worried frown.

"What's wrong Sparrow?" he asked as he lead her through the throng of people.

Sparrow shook her head and smiled. "Its nothing really."

"Come on you can tell me," the man encouraged with a wide, white grin.

She giggled girlishly. "Well it was just that... there was a ring on that stall I liked the look of that's all."

"Oh really?" Corban looked round curiously and she tugged his arm a little so that his attention came back to her.

"Its gone now," she said with a sad sigh.

He nodded in sympathy and wrapped his arm about her shoulder making her blush as he squeezed a little. He gently guided her back to the inn just as the sun touched the sky line of houses and the sky melted into hues of pinks and oranges staining the clouds with its gentle summer glow. They passed into the bar where the owner was busy checking the various bottles behind the vast wooden counter.

He waved to them a cheery grin on his round face as they passed. They greeted him warmly and passed through to the rooms hidden behind the door. As they strode down the hall way laughter and giggles could be heard. They looked to each other as they curiously edged nearer, down the corridor. They stopped at a door which Sparrow noted to be Reaver's room. Corban opened the door to Sparrow's room and gulped. He looked at Sparrow almost fearfully.

"Um Sparrow?"

"Yes Corban?" she turned to him as her hand was half way to the door handle. Seeing Corban's expression she became concerned.

"Lorna isn't in the room." Sparrow's eyes widened in horror and she glared at the door in front of her with intense anger and loathing.

She took a step backward as she judged the door with a raised eyebrow as female laughter filtered through. Corban watched stunned as Sparrow's leg sprung forward with the speed of an arrow and the door crashed open. She confidently strode in her blue eyes icy as she looked round the fairly large room. In a chair, surrounded by at least five women was Reaver retelling a tale as he had a goblet in one hand and a girls face cupped with the other. They all stared at her in mute shock as her gaze sent chills into the room. Her eyes finally rested on the bed where a wide eyed Lorna, surrounded by just as many women, was busy pampering the young girl. Sparrow's eyes locked with Lorna's wide purple gaze. With a sheepish smile she slid from the bed and fled the room much to the protest of the young women lounging on the bed who were scantly dressed at best.

Reaver's face darkened as he stood to confront Sparrow. The women watched with bated breath as she approached him with a hard expression. They stared at each other, Reaver with a look of blank disinterest and Sparrow of intense hate. Her hand flashed and connected with a resounding slap across the pirates face. He had been expecting it, but made no effort to deflect the blow as he stumbled a little under its force. Pain cascaded through his jaw and cheek as a rosy red hand shaped mark appeared over his face. The women let out squeals of protest as they surrounded the pirate to support him before he fell over. He worked his jaw a little to make sure it was not broken and he glared balefully at the rigid women. He refused to look away however and she stalked out leaving him with his group of women who began to fuss.

Corban looked down at him with a dark smirk. "You know you are your own worst enemy," he laughed as he turned to walk through the door, and over his shoulder he said, "And your making it much easier for me." He closed the door with a snap leaving Reaver, a white rose amongst black orchids that fussed. He made no effort to push them away as he stared at the floor with blank eyes and yet his chest felt heavy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Garth strode into the entrance hall of the library taking a deep breath, inhaling the familiar fragrance of books and ancient magic. He smiled a rare smile and swept his eyes over the book cases that nearly reached the ceiling. Balconies traversed the room in a maze of stone and wrought iron suspended in mid-air with the will of many thousands of years. Just this cavernous room alone contained the knowledge of thousands of generations of Mage's and wizards. Men and women in robes of every conceivable colour floated past their skin illuminant with the glow of their will scars.

He stepped lightly across the entrance to where a desk sat following the concave curve of a spiralling pillar. Behind it was a sickly looking man but his will scars shone as bright as his own. He looked up with dark, heavy lidded eyes and spoke in a slow weary deep voice the native tongue of their people.

-Hello, how may I help you on this... day?- A muscle in the man's cheek twitched in amusement though the joke escaped Garth as he bowed slightly.

-I am here looking on anything relating to the old kings of Samarkand perhaps in the earliest history- Garth replied and the man waved vaguely in a direction were an ornate crystal fountain gurgled and gushed.

-You can try history section, ancient history will be labeled with AH- he said in a bored tone as his eyes went back to the scrolls sat in front of him.

-Thank you,- Garth replied politely and as he walked in the direction indicated he muttered, "For nothing." He sighed and looked up at the vast bookcases with a sense of dismay. This was going to take a while. Though his mind reeled at the thought of how much knowledge must be here he forced himself to concentrate on the important goal. He knew very little about the kingdom of Jupitus save for the few scraps of information he had found on his travels. The fact that the map he received from Reaver was blank was also troubling. Was there something he had to do, a spell to use, a potion or something more mundane to make the map reveal itself. He sighed as he spotted a book labeled 'Ancient Kingdoms'. He picked it up and browsed through it but put it back with an irritated scowl. This was going to take a while.

Sometime later in the afternoon the air in the library began to cool as the sun's heat dissipated much to the inhabitants relief. However much time he spent Garth was no closer to an answer than he was when he came in. He sat upon a pouffe not too far from the fountain as he looked in books that he had piled next to him in a tower that was diminishing. Slowly he made his way through one then put it on an ever growing tower on the other side of him.

A strange rattling made him peer up and a small man with a magnificent silvery beard that trailed between his legs trotted over. He wore a robe of purest white that was a definite contrast to his dark, almost black skin and about his neck was heavy looking necklace of a simple fashion that seemed vaguely familiar. He sat with a huff on another pouffe that protested as he sat just in front of Garth and curiously Garth peered around, but a chill settled over him when he realised there was no one else around. The place was empty, or so he thought and down one aisle stood a tall man who was frozen like a statue, staring in his book. With a quirk of his eye brow he looked up at the old man suspiciously. The old man peered back from under heavy, white eyebrows and his hair was slicked back, but not in the customary braids a lot of Samarkanians wore. In fact the only thing to indicate he could possible be from Samarkand was the black of his skin and dark brown of his eyes that bore into Garth's own. Everything else about him seemed foreign.

"You look lost boy," he said in the language of Albion. This definitely surprised Garth and he nodded dispiritedly.

"It would seem that way," he replied and the stranger chuckled deeply. The sound carried with it a deep sense of wisdom and Garth felt awed by it as he sat opposite him.

"Well what are you looking for?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"Well, I am trying to find more about an old king Jupitus," Garth said with a heavy sigh as he rubbed his tired eyes. The stranger regarded him with amused eyes as a smile twitched under his beard.

"Well, thats the **why** but not **what** you are really looking for is it," the old man stated pointedly, "so what are _really_ looking for?"

Garth stared at him and he was forced to think. After a moment he spoke again. "Well, a way to read a map that looks blank."

"Hmm well there are many ways to read a blank map," the old man replied, "may I look at it?"

Garth gave him a measured look and hesitantly retrieved the piece of parchment from his inside jacket pocket. He handed it over to the old man who snatched it. Garth cringed inwardly as he watched the old man flick the parchment open with rough movements. He stared at both sides flicking it back and forth. Garth nearly cried out when the old man began to tug the parchment and the poor mage feared it may rip in half. Uneasiness came over him and something told him he should not of given him the map. He watched as the old man sniffed it, then licked it. Garth felt revolted as the old man smacked his lips as if he were taste testing wine. The old man hummed and nodded to himself as he threw the map back to the horrified Garth. With a certain reverence Garth folded up the map and deposited it back in his pocket glaring at the old man who sat with his face scrunched up like the bark of an old tree.

"To the east lies a temple hidden in heat of darkness, buried by the remnants of mountains and there you shall find the light to your blankness," the old man said in a voice that vibrated and Garth could feel his bones rattle in the shell of his flesh. He held his breath as the old man then looked at him blankly, "I'm hungry!"

Garth let his breath go explosively and shook his head with a weak laugh. "Thanks any way old..." he looked up and blinked. Th old man was gone and he had sensed no use of will, nothing. The pouffe was also undisturbed, holding its plump roundness. Baffled he stared about the library where people meandered intent on their own business. He sighed.

One mystery after another it seemed for Garth as he picked up a book. He looked at it a moment taking in the cracked look of the leather volume and as he turned it to look at its smooth spine it read. 'Secrets of the Araga desert'. This immediately caught his attention as this was the desert lying to east nearer the mountains. Now he felt like he was getting somewhere as the words of the mysterious old man roamed round his mind. 'To the east lies a temple hidden in the heat of darkness' this was definitely a clue but how it related to their present predicament he had yet to fathom.

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A/N- Thank you so much for the encouragement from all who that reviewed. I have not quite recovered yet but this just kept rattling round and round in my head. For all authors they should know what I mean. I also apologise for any grammar and spelling mistakes I had over looked as I said I haven't quite recovered yet. I hope I haven't disappointed with this latest instalment of the chapter. Also for the naming of the desert I took from David Eddings series Belgariad because I thought it sounded cool. Anyway review as always and the next one should be up soon.


	10. Reaver's Drunk and the One Sided Bet

A/N- If you have not read chapter 9 since I replaced it I suggest you do or this will not make sense.

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When Garth returned to the inn he felt a little giddy. The cold night pressed in around him along with the revelation of his findings. He had a feeling he had cracked the old man's riddle, if not a small part of it. According to some of the old records there was indeed a temple in the Araga desert but when it was built it was not amidst a desert. However, he had no clue what could be there that would help him figure out how to 'see' the map. 'A light to your blankness' Well his mind was certainly blank. He thought about all the possibilities that this could mean, but he would not know until he got there.

He passed into the bar that was gently illuminated by torches behind the bar and the fire place that blazed merrily. People mingled about the counter and meandered round the tables. Not too far from the fire three familiar figures sat at a table conversing. As he approached Lorna turned to her right and smiled brightly up at him. He smiled back and patted her head as he nodded to Corban and Sparrow. The only one missing was Reaver, but now they were in a more urban area this did not surprise him in the slightest. He sat with a heavy sigh between Corban and Sparrow whom looked to him with sympathetic smiles.

"So how did the library hunt go?" Corban asked sipping his wine.

Garth sighed again and grinned. "At first I wasn't getting any where, but then I received an odd visitation."

"Odd?" Sparrow's eyebrow perked curiously.

Garth then proceeded to tell them about the strange old man and the riddle given to him. After he explained about the Araga desert and how it sat at the base of the mountains in the east, spreading out a vast distance before touching the rainforests to the south and the dense woodlands to the north, he told of the temple that should be there according to this old man. Bemused, Sparrow poured the wizard out a glass of wine, which was taken appreciatively.

"That is where we have to go next?" Corban asked with a hint of distaste then sighed, "I hate deserts."

Garth chuckled. "I am not fond of them either but it is necessary."

"Yes I suppose, but it means dense, skin melting heat, blinding light and … Ginrul Fowl." Corban shuddered a little at the thought wiping a hand over his smooth chin.

"Um, what are Ginrul Fowl?" Sparrow asked, leaning forward with curious eyes. Lorna nodded also curious, but Garth chuckled mysteriously.

"You will just have to wait and see won't you," he said taking another sip grinning into his glass.

Sparrow shook her head dully as she could feel the fuzzy effects of the wine making her feel a little light headed. She chuckled despite herself and leaned on her hand.

"So which brothel is HE in then?" Garth asked setting his glass down with a light chink. Sparrow looked at him and shrugged her face remaining blank.

"He did not actual leave," she told the Mage, "After earlier his posse of girls left and we haven't seen him since."

"Your kidding me?" Garth said in astonishment and sat up, "What happened."

Sparrow sighed and looked at Lorna who looked down shamefully. "I don't blame you honey." Despite Sparrow's reassurances Lorna felt bad for the pirate. He only wanted to have a little fun and she did agree to help him collect women for his 'evening'. She smiled a little then yawned.

Garth snorted, seeing her yawn reminding him of how tired his own body felt. Reluctantly he stood again consuming the rest of the wine.

"Well I bid you good night," he said with a yawn.

"Ah could you take Lorna please Garth, I am going to stay up a little longer?" Sparrow asked of her friend who smiled and nodded. Obediently Lorna slid from her chair and followed Garth out leaving Corban with Sparrow. As they neared her room Lorna looked at Garth with a puzzled frown.

"Garth?" she said in a small voice, "Can I ask a question?"

Delighted Garth smiled at the little girl. "Of course little one."

"Well," she hesitated looking back at the corridor they had just walked down, "Can a person manipulate another with the sound of their voice?"

She looked at the older man with her large mauve eyes and Garth shrugged as he thought about it. The question was unusual, but something about the way she said it caused a small amount of alarm in Garth. He opened the door and Lorna pottered into the room.

"I am not sure," Garth relented, "Why do you ask?"

Lorna shook her head and smiled sweetly. "No reason. Was just wondering." She took her night dress and walked into the bathroom to change. Not soon after she trotted back in and climbed into the bed then under the cover. Garth approached and tucked her in patting her head.

"Sweet dreams little one."

He left the room while Lorna settled to sleep and passed down the corridor. He stopped outside Reaver's door looking at it speculatively. He then became aware of a male voice singing. He leant closer to Reaver's door and grinned when it he realised it was Reaver himself. He popped the door open and peered into the room. He stepped in to find Reaver singing to himself with a glass of wine in one hand as he conducted an imaginary orchestra with the other. Two empty bottles of wine lay beside him dripping residue onto the carpet and a half filled one stood on the other side nearest the bed where he had his legs propped upon. Amused Garth came up behind him and tapped a very drunk Reaver on the shoulder.

Reaver stopped his singing and looked round at Garth with large unfocused eyes. Recognising the Mage Reaver grinned.

"What ho Its Garth!" he exclaimed getting clumsily out of his chair and stumbled forward. Garth grabbed the man by the back of the tunic for fear he would fall on his face. Reaver merely laughed as he grabbed the Mage's arm to steady himself.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Reaver asked putting an arm round Garth's shoulders in a friendly fashion.

"I have just come back from the library," Garth explained in a slow voice as he watched his companion closely. Reaver blinked at him and a comical grimace graced his lips.

"Library!" he exclaimed, "whatever for?"

"Don't concern yourself with it," Garth said with a chuckle patting the other on the back.

Reaver tilted his head and shrugged. "If you sssay so old bean. Wine?" He offered the glass to Garth sloshing a little of the liquid on himself. Garth pushed the glass away with a smile.

"No thank you Reaver," he declined politely and the pirate made a face.

"Suit bleedin' self, more for me," he crowed as he bent over to grab the half full bottle and he nearly head butted the chair as he grabbed it. He stood and stumbled over to the window that looked into the street. He bashed the window open letting a soft breeze filter through and he poured himself another glass. As he went to put it on the window sill he missed and it slipped smashing noisily at the base of the window. He looked down after it, blinking slightly in surprise.

"Oh dear, looks like I made a whoopsie," He laughed and looked at Garth as if expecting him to laugh at his joke. Garth laughed a little uncertain as to why but Reaver waved an indifferent hand in his direction . "Sod ya then."

He took a long draft from his glass smacking his lips appreciatively as Garth approached him. He leaned on the sill next to Reaver who swayed unsteadily on his feet staring out the window and hummed lowly to himself. His glass waved in front of his face as he attempted to take another sip bumping himself on the nose once, twice and a third time before it hit its mark.

"What's got into you Reaver?" Garth asked sensing things were not as they appeared to be.

"What's up with me!!" the pirate cried, "Its not wwwhats up with Me. Its Whhhats up with her." He poked Garth hard in the chest and the mage rubbed the spot thoughtfully.

"Her?" Reaver stared at him as if he had two heads, well, several heads from what he could count.

"Don't plaaay sstupid with me," Reaver said waving his glass so the liquid sloshed again, "She is going to be the death of me."

A pained look crossed his face as he leaned forward touching the sill with his forehead. Garth patted the man on the back as he pieced a few things together. He chuckled sadly.

"Your drunk."

"I'm not so think you drunk I am!" Reaver stated loudly to the floor not bothering to look up as the room span wildly about him.

"It must not be easy, being immortal," Garth then said and Reaver's head snapped up to glare at him dangerously.

"That has nu-uthing to do with it!" he stated loudly downing the rest of his drink. "she is just a pain the proverbial rectum." He stood clutching the sill as his body rocked back and forth like a tree in a sea breeze. He looked up at Garth who watched with a hint of fascination as the Mage had never seen any one quite this drunk before. Despite how amusing it seemed he could not help think of the prospect of how dangerous Reaver's position was.

"What?" Reaver demanded and Garth shook his head.

"Your not doing very well are you," Garth said with a chuckle.

Reaver shrugged indifferently. "I gave up caring what," he thought for a moment, "two hundred and sssomething years ago. And I will have you know that in that t... time I have met many women," he nodded proudly for this statement, "some were more stubborn than others b-ut they had come around eeeventually."

"What's your point?" Garth asked tilting his head. Reaver laughed running a hand through his hair with a wistful look.

"Wooing a women is a proffound art," Reaver stated waving his empty glass at the Mage, "each one will be different, but essentially they...'hic' like the same sorts of things in bed or hu-otherwise. However... I have never met a women who has hated me so intensss..ily... tensely...hmm.. anyway, Sparrow is frigid."

Garth guffawed and coughed while Reaver looked at him from the corner of his eye.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Garth cleared his throat slightly, "so you consider yourself an expert on the subject of women then?"

Reaver thought about it and nodded. "Of course, I can... I can woo and seduce a-ny women I want," Reaver declared proudly and went to take a sip from his glass only to find it empty and he grunted dejectedly.

"All right if that is so," Garth paused a moment a sly smile curling at his lips as he stroked his small beared, "would you consider Sparrow a challenge?"

Reaver's eyes widened and his head twitched a little as he thought about it, twirling the glass between his finger and thumb. "Ye-es... I guess you could say that, why?"

Garth smirked and the sight made Reaver jump a little. "Then I bet you a three thousand gold," Reaver's eyes went wider, "That you **_can't_** seduce Sparrow by the time we have solved this little mystery."

"WHAT!!??" Reaver demanded incredulously, "Are you insin..insinuating that I can't fornicate with that... women..." He leaned a little closer to Garth. "She is a women right?"

Garth nodded with a snigger. "Yes Reaver, she is."

The pirate nodded thoughtfully standing straight. "I guess the boobs are a dead give away," he said with a shrug, "Hmm boobies." The blank face that followed made Garth laugh and the sound made Reaver grin impishly.

"Ok, your on," Reaver said with smirk.

"Ok then," Garth pulled out a small, smooth oval shaped stone that was a dusty orange colour and cyan coloured veins ran its length like lightning against the sunset sky. Reaver peered at it curiously his eyes sparkling. "See this stone," Reaver nodded stumbling a little at the force, "This will make sure you fulfill this little bet of ours. You must keep this on you at all times and even if you don't remember what it is for tomorrow morning, you will remember eventually, but until that time you will be compelled to keep this with you and never let it go."

Reaver's eyebrow rose as his eyes slowly trailed up to the will lined face before him and made an indifferent sniff. He held out his hand silently and Garth shook hands with him before putting the stone into Reaver's palm. The stone vibrated against his skin making the flesh tingle. With a shrug he shoved it in his trouser pocket and leaned against his elbow on sill. With a satisfied smile he watched as Reaver waved his glass dangerously in front of him.

"Your going to lose you know," the pirate smirked and knocked the glass hard against the window. At the sound of smashing glass he looked at the remnants with a confused frown.

"Sure I am," Garth smiled mysteriously.

"Oh, bugger," Reaver murmured looking at it the stem of the glass somewhat forlornly. He then shrugged and, with a grin, he threw it out of the window.

"Good thing it wasn't full," he laughed going back to his chair. He slumped into it picking up a new glass from under his chair and pulled another bottle of wine from under his bed. He then pulled out a corkscrew and fiddled with it trying to pull the cork free. He huffed and puffed as he struggled back and forth with the bottle between his legs. Garth could not help but laugh at how absurd it looked. Reaver glared at him blurringly and gave up. He stood up and placed the bottle on the chest of drawers. He then sat back in his chair took out his pistol and tried to aim. His tongue was stuck out in concentration as the weapon waved all over the place in disjointed circles until finally it exploded. The neck of the bottle smashed sending wine and shards of glass cascading all over the chest of draws.

With smirk of satisfaction he grabbed the neck-less bottle and looked at Garth triumphantly.

"Not a problem." he then proceeded to expertly pour himself another glass while Garth gapped in awe. Reaver must have been pissed arse drunk and he was still able to shoot straight. Albeit after a while but it was still impressive.

"Seeing you like this... Its not like you?" Garth said with a sad frown.

Reaver shot the man a sharp stare. "You presu-ume to know me hmm?" Reaver asked his voice going up an octave or too as he swayed slamming the bottle on the chest of draws, "How dare you presume to know me." He growled and downed the glass in one as he took out his pistol and waved it at Garth. "No one know, knows me and never will! I have as much contempt for, you... you and her as I do for... for dog defication at the bottom of my … boot, humph!!"

He glared at Garth who stared back blankly. Reaver's eyes widened feigning innocence as he forgot instantly what he said. "What?"

"Okay, no more wine for you, you are going to bed," Garth said in a dangerous voice as he approached the panic stricken pirate who looked like had seen a ghost. He stumbled back hitting the piece of furniture and the bottle clattered to the floor with a soft thump.

"Don't you fucking dare!" he spat, "Noo, NOOO!! don't touch me! Don't you bloody well touch me! Fuck off!! Shit bullets you bastard!!"

Garth ignored him and knocked the pistol from Reaver's limp fingers. Grabbing him by the front of the tunic he threw the pirate on the bed. Reaver protested and swore at the top of his lungs as he struggled violently against Garth who tried to pin him to the bed. Finally he managed to get his palm on the pirates forehead while Reaver continued to try and bite his wrists snapping like an angry turtle, his teeth clicking sharpely together. A surge of energy flowed from Garth and into Reaver who suddenly relaxed reluctantly his eyes glazing and mouth going slack. His whole body suddenly slumped to the bed and his head rolled to the side as his eyes slid closed consumed by his forced sleep. Garth sighed wearily and pulled the cover over the pirate who twitched lightly in his sleep.

Garth looked down at the mess in the room and made a noise of disgust as the recently 'opened' bottle of wine spilled its contents all over the carpet enveloping it in a dark red stain. He picked the bottle up and made a mental note to apologise the inn owner as he left, closing the door with a snap behind him. As he stood in the corridor he became aware of a pair of intent eyes upon him and he looked down at Lorna who had been attracted by the commotion. She tilted her head curiously but Garth shook his.

"Just go to bed little one," he said in a kind voice. The small girl pouted, but did as she was told returning to the room. When she had closed the door Garth's shoulder sagged a little as if he had been carrying a great weight and idly returned to his own room. "Children," he muttered as he snapped the door behind him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N- All right then, I hope you liked this chapter and the next one is in the works if I can get my Uni work done... if! I am treating it like a reward for doing my work so I hopefully I will breeze through it to continue this story.

I would also like to announce that this fanfiction is indeed the longest in terms of chapters and has the most reviews of all the stories I have submitted. Therefore I would to personally thank all the readers who reviewed or not, because it is impart thanks to your encouragement that this has managed to be as it is. I am also very proud of myself that I could keep this one going as well. SO cookies for everyone!! Also reviews, keep them coming as well as that is motivation too, to get my work done as fast as possible. X3 Love you all!! Your awesome!!! *feels like a rock star at a concert) O.o


	11. Hang Overs and Ginrul Fowl

The next morning Reaver twitched awake and his green eyes snapped open, but his body refused to move. He spent a few moments wallowing in the effects of his hangover before he stiffly moved his body with an agonising groan and his head felt like it was going to spilt open like a piece of over ripe fruit. After several attempts he managed to sit up on the edge of the bed holding his head just in case it decided to roll off. A queasy feeling broiled in his stomach and he sighed. It had been a long time since he had actually felt this bad and even longer since he could remember not remembering anything. He muttered a curse as he realised he was still wearing his clothes. He looked down at the floor to stare with interest at his boots, then his eyes looked down and his eyebrow rose when he saw a large, dried, red splotch on the floor and his eyes trailed up the solid wooden piece of furniture to the mess that sat a top of it. He groaned again and lay back on the bed with no intent of surfacing anytime that day, closing his eyes and concentrated on keeping his stomach from exhuming its contents.

The door suddenly crashed open making him flinch and his eyes peeled open. He gritted his teeth against the pain the noise caused in his skull and an intense anger consumed him. His head moved a fraction and it screamed in protest as he fixed a lazy eye on the small blob like person that stood at the door.

"Sorry Reaver," the blob whispered in a small voice.

He smiled gingerly his anger ebbing some what. "What do you want brat?" he asked in a raspy, rough voice.

It approached and put something on the side with a dull thunk. He stared at the bluish liquid speculatively and the smell of spices wafted up his nostril causing a wave of nausea. He groaned and covered his face with his pillow as the thing beside him giggled. He peered at her with a single eye from under the pillow.

"What?"

"Nothing Reaver," Lorna smiled and his eye rolled.

"Sahail said this will make you feel better," the small girl promised as she reached out to touch his forehead. He batted her hand away and she sighed sadly with a small shrug. He looked at it again and gingerly sat up. The small girl gasped pointing at his clothes that were creased and wine stained. He glowered at her and she smiled meekly. Grabbing the glass he sniffed it while Lorna watched with large purple eyes. He made a rueful face and hesitantly took a sip. He gagged and set the glass aside irritably.

"That is revolting," he grumbled turning over and covered his head with the blanket.

"Um, Reaver?"

"Yes," he rolled back over to glare at her.

"Sparrow said you have to be up by midday," the small girl informed him and he sat up with a look of disgust.

"You cannot be serious!?" he demanded and winced as pain seared through his skull.

Lorna smiled apologetically and shrugged. "She said we have to go today."

Reaver nodded and pulled his stiff body into a sitting position. His head felt like a lump of stone threatening to snap his neck. He looked speculatively at the blue liquid and Lorna gave him an encouraging smile. He sighed and picked it up again giving it a quick sniff. He made a face as he reluctantly sipped it again. It left a bitter taste in his mouth as the liquid trickled down his throat and he looked down at Lorna who watched with a wrinkled nose.

"Y-es?"

"You smell!" she stated rubbing her nose, "you need a bath."

"Oh thank you so much dear," he replied with a sarcastic snort. "I must admit though, I am giving of a pungent fragrance." He made a face as he sniffed himself.

Lorna smiled brightly. "I will gather you new clothes," she suggested in a helpful tone, "And maybe you should have a bath."

Reaver chuckled and patted the girl on the head. "I certainly won't argue with you there," he turned to set the glass down, but Lorna tutted making the pirate sigh. "Fine!" He demurely sipped the drink with a detached expression trying hard not grimace.

Happy, she trotted over to the abused looking chest of drawers making sure to avoid the shards of glass that glittered at her from the carpet. She side stepped the patch of red and pulled open a draw. As she pulled out clothes Reaver watched with blank interest as she set the clothes onto the end of the bed one at a time.

As he sat and watched whilst sipping his drink the liquid trickled down his throat he could feel the muscles about his stomach ease and was surprised to find his head had lightened. He looked at the glass with a look of profound amazement and tilted his head back seemingly to inhale the liquid. He coughed and sputtered a little, but relaxed as he could literally feel the drink take effect.

He looked at Lorna who was smiling as she watched him.

"I must get that recipe from him," Reaver mused scratching his chin.

Lorna smiled sadly. "I did ask, incase it did work, but he said it was a secret recipe."

The pirate smirked at her and gave her a surreptitious wink, his white, even teeth flashing in a grin. "Don't worry my dear I can get the recipe."

She giggled and went to the door as he waved her out.

"Don't forget to be out by Midday," she said with a giggle and she disappeared with the snap of the door.

When she had gone Reaver's shoulders slumped and he tiredly rubbed his eyes. He got up stretching like a cat and trudged to the bath room where he stripped and ran himself a rather hot bath. As he ran his hands over his trouser pockets he felt a lump and pulled out a small stone. He looked at it curiously. He ran his thumb over the smooth surface marvelling at the cyan veins that ran its expanse. Confusion bubbled to the surface as he watched the light dance on its surface and if he was not mistaken it felt like it was vibrating against his fingers. He wondered where he got it from but as he aimed to throw it out the window he decided not to. It was a pretty stone and for some reason the thought of parting with it seemed outrageous. He sighed and put it on dresser where he could see it feeling all the more baffled.

After deep soak of about half an hour he reappeared in his room with a towel tied round his waist and another that he was rubbing his hair with. He roughly ran the towel over his hair and sat at a vanity table that held a huge mirror. With out much of a glance at his reflection he set to tackling his mass of hair with a comb. The dark, blonde mass relented under the strokes leaving behind an even, if somewhat damp, flat surface. He quickly styled his hair with expert hands and patted it when he was happy with it. He regarded himself in the mirror scrupulously inspecting his face and he gave himself a sultry wink.

As he turned to get off the stool he froze. He paused for a moment, then regarded his reflection with wary eyes. Upon the reflective surface was his image, but something was not right for it grinned toothily at him and he knew for certain he was not grinning. The other him suddenly moved forward to lean on his arms. The green eyes that stared back at him held undisguised interest as the reflection rested his chin on one hand. A chill crept over Reaver's flesh and goosebumps erupted as the wave coursed along the skins surface.

"Its about time you and I had a chat," his reflection said, the voice, though hauntingly familiar, echoed in his mind leaving him with a sense of belittling. He hated it and he bristled slightly sitting up straight backed on the stool. His reflection merely laughed at him making him angrier.

"Yes about time indeed," the reflection said again and it smirked at the Pirate.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Lorna returned to where Sparrow was busy checking over her bags with a glass of blue liquid in one hand, the women looked up and smiled warmly at the small girl who trotted up to her. Sparrow patted her on the head as she sat at one of the table. Lorna climbed into the chair next to her and Sparrow sighed putting the glass on the table.

"Did you tell Reaver?" Sparrow asked not really sounding all that interested. Lorna nodded and pointed at the glass filled with the blue liquid.

"I gave him that too."

"Good girl," she said taking a sip and grimaced a little.

"What is it for?" Lorna then asked tilting her head curiously as she stared at the liquid.

Sparrow chuckled. "Well when you drink lots of wine and ale, and various other spirits it makes people act strange. This is called being drunk."

"Uh-huh I understand that," Lorna said matter-of-factly, "But how does that make you feel better, because when I went to give Reaver this he looked like he was dying."

Sparrow burst out laughing the image of a hung over Reaver made her feel very amused. She looked down at Lorna who stared back innocently.

"So did he feel better after drinking this?" Sparrow asked pointing at the glass and Lorna nodded.

"But Sparrow, if your drinking it too does that mean you drank to much last night as well?" Lorna stared at her still and Sparrow grimaced theatrically. With a demure nod she took another sip whilst Lorna laughed and giggled.

Sahail approached and smiled gently down at the two. "Would you like some breakfast my pretty young ladies?" he asked.

With a grateful sigh Sparrow smiled back. "Oh that would be wonderful," she said and Lorna nodded, "would you have eggs and bacon?"

"We would indeed, would you like toast with that?" Sparrow nodded and Sahail left. Lorna looked at her with a curious tilt of her head.

"Where is Garth?" she asked, "He went very early."

"Yes he went with Corban to find some of these Ginrul fowl," Sparrow paused to take another sip, "I must admit I feel curious but for some reason, I feel a little trepidation."

Lorna nodded in understanding. "Though I think it might be some kind of bird," Lorna said playing with her fingers on the table. Sparrow nodded and shrugged.

"We will just have to wait and see," she scoffed and rubbed her eyes, "I don't like surprises like this."

Sometime later Sahail returned with two plates full of steaming food and Sparrow thanked him. Lorna pulled the plate closer and watched him leave before she ate quickly. Sparrow sighed as she took the effort to cut and chew her food. No matter how many times she would tell the girl to slow down and chew her food properly Lorna still did it. A deep habit that must not be easy to be rid of, Sparrow surmised. She watched as Lorna had her left arm held round the plate almost protectively whilst the other held a fork that speared the bacon before disappearing into her mouth. As they slowly finished their food footsteps from behind them caused Sparrow to turn her head to look behind her.

She watched as Reaver made his up to the bar and slid onto one of the stools. He chatted quietly with Sahail before the portly man disappeared into the kitchen leaving the pirate to sit and contemplate. He leaned his elbow on the bar as he had his chin rested on his palm and his other balled fist sat into his hip. One foot touched the floor as the heel of his other boot was hooked onto the rung of the stool. Even when he was thinking he always seemed to pose and as she watched him she noted he suddenly seemed to look older. His shoulders were slumped wearily and his handsome face was scrunched lightly as he was deep in thought.

Realising she was staring Sparrow turned away and sighed with relief when Lorna had not noticed as she finished off the piece of toast in her hand dipping it in the yolk still left on her plate. Sparrow sat uneasily pushing her plate away. Lorna Looked at the plate and saw that Sparrow had left a piece of toast. She looked imploringly up at the lady and she nodded with an amused smile. Lorna grinned and grabbed the piece of toast, leaning back in her chair to nibble on it.

She suddenly felt a pair of eyes on her back, but resisted looking over her shoulder. Her nervousness was unwarranted she knew that, but, like many women, she realised she was falling for the pirate despite her best interests. The familiar feelings of infatuation brought on memories of Alex, her late husband. After so many years she barely remembered his face, but the sound of his voice still echoed in her ears. She smiled sorrowfully as memories of the long nights she had spent when she returned home to him after a long quest. He was always happy to see her when she returned and was, if anything, the complete opposite of Reaver. Perhaps was more a kin to Corban than the pirate, or was he. She felt her heart pang for the comfort of his arms and the sweet whisperings of hope he gave her in the darkest of times. All were now gone like the planking beneath her feet had been removed letting her fall into a vat of grief and loneliness.

Anger suddenly flared and her deeply buried grief began to rise as she remembered why she hated the pirate so much. The vision of Lucien falling to his death came fresh to her mind and her fists clenched. As too did the image of the women condemned to be a old women for the rest of her life. Seeing Reaver's nonchalant face as he told her of the plan to give her to Lucien. All for that pirates selfish gains. She took a deep breath and forced herself to unclench her fists, then relax. They were here for a different reason and she had to bare with the pirates presence only for a while, then they would part ways and be none the wiser. The thought pleased her and a small smile tugged at her lips. She looked at Lorna who stared at her with the piece of toast part way to her gaping mouth. Her eyes stared with a worried yet questioning look. Sparrow merely smiled and patted her head leaving the child feeling confused. Lorna pouted then savagely bit the piece of toast making Sparrow laugh.

Mid morning soon dragged nearer to midday and Reaver made no attempt to talk to Sparrow. In fact he seemed to avoid her leaving Sparrow feeling fairly pleased. Garth strode into the bar with a satisfied smile on his face and he approached Sparrow.

"Well, we have managed to purchase some Ginrul Fowl. Has everything been dealt with?" Sparrow looked over her shoulder at Reaver who was busy chatting with a young man, a silly little smile on his lips, then looked back to Garth with a snort.

"Yes all has been paid off and we have paid for damages too." Garth nodded and looked over at Reaver who had just noticed him. He gave the young man a seductive smirk, patted his cheek and left, leaving the young man blushing and flustered.

He approached smoothing down his over coat and gave Garth a withering look.

"Did I hear correctly?" he asked, "That you purchased Ginrul Fowl?" His lips twisted into a grimace and his nose wrinkled at the thought.

Garth's smile widened to a grin. "Yes that is correct," he looked at the pirate closely, "you're feeling alright?"

Reaver blinked and nodded. "I'm absolutely fine."

"Indeed, lets get the baggage out shall we," he gave Reaver a mysterious grin as he passed leaving the pirate looking confused. His hand patted his coat pocket feeling the lump of the stone against his chest vibrate gently. He made a noise of disgust and turned away leaving the bar with smooth strides. Lorna and Sparrow looked to each other with amused yet baffled looks.

Soon they had gathered outside the restaurant and Lorna peered about Sparrow's legs gawking widely. Standing in the street was a large bird with a long, thin curved neck and its small head had a curled, mean looking beak. It stood at at least at eight foot and its sturdy looking legs were scaly with viscous talons. Its brightly coloured feathers were thick and a great plume curved about its head and its tail feathers flared out in a rainbow of colour, but its wings were barely any bigger than its body. It looked down at the small child and let out a squawk as its large talons ploughed at the dirt.

Sparrow stared at it and the three exactly like it with a sense of profound wonder and amazement. Reaver stood by the closet one with the reigns in one hand looking none too enthusiastic. Garth was busy fussing one while Corban had a hold of two and pulled them closer. He handed the reigns to Sparrow who took them gingerly.

"They're beautiful," Sparrow whispered in awe as the bird bowed its head and looked at her with its golden eye. She patted its head which it seemed to like as it closed its eyes then trilled. She laughed and Reaver grunted sourly.

He pulled on the reigns so that he faced his Ginrul fowl and stared eye to eye with it.

"Now you listen here birdy," he growled in a low dangerous voice, "I do not like you and more than likely, you do not like me, so give me any trouble and you will be roast dinner, you hear me. And I will enjoy every last stringy piece of you, understand!"

The Ginrul fowl gave an uncertain squawk a hint of fear in its golden eyes and Reaver smirked nastily. "Good, lets just get along shall we," he patted its bill then barked -Down- in the Samarkandian language and obediently the bird knelt down. He planted a foot on its shoulder and launched himself to sit on its back with both feet resting at the base of its neck. -Up- he barked and it rose gracefully till he towered over the others. He stared down at the two adults with a look of superior disinterest like he had been doing it his whole life.

Lorna looked up with a grin and Reaver gave her a cheeky wink. Sparrow looked at her Ginrul fowl nervously and looked to Corban for help. The dark skinned man smiled and quickly taught her the appropriate words. When she replicated them the bird sat and looked at her expectantly. With a delighted giggle she climbed on the same way she had seen Reaver do it and she grinned a foolishly as she sat upon the creatures back. Reaver watched with a strange look and Lorna smiled at him. She turned to Corban and gave him a dark glare before climbing into Sparrow's lap looking else where with a huff. Corban blinked then looked at Sparrow who shrugged apologetically. She gave the cue for her Ginrul to rise and made a squeak of surprise as it rose. Reaver laughed and she shot him a reproachful glare, which he ignored and continued laughing.

Garth approached with a smaller Ginrul fowl, but it was duller in colour with a few aqua blue coloured tail feathers and its body was stockier and lacked the magnificent plume the larger Ginrul Fowl had. Beside it, sticking close, was a small white version of the Ginrul fowl. Sparrow looked down at it holding Lorna carefully as she too peered down curiously. The little thing looked up with pink eyes and made a strange gurgle that made Lorna giggle. Sparrow looked over to Garth that tethered the duller looking Ginrul fowl. Seeing her quizzical expression he smiled.

"The larger more magnificent Ginrul are males," he patted the rump of his mount, "And the smaller, stocker less impressive are the females and we usually use them to pull carts as they can drag weight but are not so good at carrying it."

"Ah I see and that would be a baby one?" she asked looking down at the small white Ginrul who was watching curiously.

Garth nodded. "Yes, unfortunately this female was only able to lay the one egg where as normally they lay between six and three eggs. What is also most interesting, -Down- is that a white Ginrul is exceedingly rare -up-." He climbed on to his mount with a soft grunt and settled himself till he was comfortable.

"I had no idea such creatures existed in the world," Sparrow said as Corban also mounted his own Ginrul.

"There are many wonderful things in this world you have not seen before," Garth said as he pulled out a long stick from a pack on the creatures rump. Sparrow looked at it curiously and Corban handed her one very similar. She looked up to see Reaver had also acquired one and he held it against his leg. She took the stick that Corban handed to her looking even more confused.

"To encourage the Ginrul to move you pat the rump with the stick and click your tongue," Corban said demonstrating the type of sound, "To make the Ginrul turn you pull the reigns in the direction needed and press on the shoulder either your left food or right depending on where you want to go."

Sparrow nodded looking a little uncertain. "You will get a hang of it eventually," Corban assured and she responded with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah … sure."

"Maybe this is not the time to say that they sense your fear," Reaver teased neatly avoiding the stick that whistled over his head. He laughed as he encouraged the Ginrul forward and it trotted head bobbing as it moved.

Taking a deep breath she clutched the reigns in one hand and Lorna with the other.

"Here goes nothing," she whispered as she then encouraged her own mount forward. She let out a cry of surprise as it surged forward and her body jolted up and down with surprising force that jarred her skull.

"All right, Hang on!" Corban called after them giving his mount a quick slap on the rump and charged after them leaving Garth trailing behind with the cart. He sighed and looked to the female Ginrul.

"Always the same," he told her and she bobbed her head with a small warble that vibrated her throat. Garth chuckled and encouraged his mount following at a more sedate pace with the female Ginrul tugging the small cart along. He eventually caught up when Sparrow figured out how to get the Ginrul to walk rather than run even though the bird protested loudly. They slowly ambled along the wide dirt path surrounded on either side by the same dense forest that seemed the same all the way.

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I apologise for the lateness of this chapter. Uni work as always. Anyway more should be on the way and Review if you liked and so on.


	12. The Hidden Temple of Jupitus

That night they found shelter in a small grove hidden by the vast trees that surrounded them. Birds and monkeys twittered amongst themselves as the playful primates danced amongst the hanging ferns and vines that hung precariously from the limbs of the monstrous trees. Sparrow cast her blue eyes skyward at the dense canopy of leaves that shrouded them from the intense sun that beat down upon this arid land. Though the shadows held little shelter from the humid dampness that seemed to settle into the very bones leaving the skin to swelter and sweat to help the body cool, however it did nothing to relief the discomfort of the oppressive incalescence of heat that bore down upon them.

Sparrow sighed with relief as a small breeze of cool air swept over her skin to ease her malaise. The forest seemed to capture and hold the humidity much to her candour and as the fire blazed it did little to help. She looked down at the remnants of her dinner in the small wooden bowl and sighed. Lorna, who sat next to her, gazed at her with her usual wide eyed stare. Sparrow knew what she wanted and handed the bowl to the young girl who grinned happily spooning the stew into her mouth.

Reaver lounged on the other side of the fire in his usual manner with his legs crossed and a small travel goblet in one hand, whilst the other hand gripped the string of a wine skin that sloshed its contents as it dangled, swinging idly from side to side. Even in this heat he sought to drink. How he could do such a thing to himself even after the previous night astounded her. She grimaced when she realised she was staring and swept her gaze across to the two that were huddled over a map. They whispered together in low voices as they seemed to stare intently at the parchment. She sighed and looked down to Lorna who sat feeding the baby Ginrul what was left of the stew. Its white feathers seemed pearlescent in the illumination of the fire and like Lorna's golden hair it seemed to glow.

Sparrow reached out a hand and patted the small creature on the head who made a squawk of surprise until it settled into a purr as her hand swept across the mini plume of feathers that arched from its head. The bowl was soon wiped clean by eager tongues and Sparrow put it with the others to be cleaned. She knelt by the bucket of water that Corban had managed to find. As her hands dipped and cleaned the food caked dinner service she could feel a pair of eyes upon her. She discreetly looked up at Lorna who played a small game of tag with the Ginrul chick and from her peripheral she could still see the two Samarkandian's discussing away, which left one other. She sighed and continued setting bowls aside to dry.

"Why do women find such pleasure in domesticity?" Reaver then asked and Sparrow looked up questioningly, "Well you're happily washing away whilst humming to yourself... well, why?" He stared at her curiously and Sparrow could feel her face warm from the neck up.

She shrugged. "Not all women are suited to such things," she explained and she sat back as she thought about it for a while till a wry smile appeared upon her slender lips, "I suppose ever since I was young I had always dreamed of having a home, a place where I could cook and clean for the simple act doing." Sparrow sighed a little as she continued to scrub. "Then I had been whisked away and trained for one purpose, to kill Lucien. It left little time for a domestic life and I suppose I had resigned myself to the truth that I would never have a normal life." She laughed ruefully as she dried her hands on her skirt. "Just look where we are now. The last five years have been peaceful, but not for the reasons I would have liked. I take pleasure in the simple tasks where ever I can and I do enjoy it." She picked up the bucket as she stood and tossed the water behind one the large roots and sat beside the fire once more. Reaver watched with an amused smile.

"You have just as much money as I do, you can just hire servants to do all the work," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand that made Sparrow laugh.

"Then where would the pleasure of been," she countered and he shrugged. "But then you're a man, I could not ask something so simple as for you to wash up."

Reaver gave her scathing glance. "I certainly would not," he sniffed, his head tilted imperiously so he looked up at the trees.

"Oh goodness no," Sparrow said sarcastically with a cheeky grin, "I could not possibly ask you to do that, it might ruin those perfectly manicured hands of yours. Can't have that now can we."

Reaver shot her a shocked look as he looked down at his gloved hands then back at her, making her laugh.

"Goodness," she continued and Reaver's eyes narrowed, "it's not like the water with burn you, you must be allergic to chores. All work and no play would make Reaver a very dull boy indeed."

"Oh yes, that would explain you now wouldn't it," Reaver countered taking a sip from his goblet.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Sparrow asked incredulously, her voice going up an octave or two leaving Reaver smirking.

"Well, you seem to work way to much," he said as he leaned over to grin at Sparrow whose cheeks were tinted a rosy pink, "I could teach you how to _play_ if you like?"

Sparrow gaped like a woman who had just been insulted and glared at Reaver. "I don't need you teach me how to... to _play _as you put it!"

"Oh yes," this caught the pirates attention and he sat up with an expectant grin, "show me!"

"What!?" her eyes widened.

"Come on, your holding out on me aren't you," Reaver growled in low voice as his smirk widened.

"What! No! Reaver, never in my right mind would I … wait what are you?" The surprised woman let out a scream as the pirate pounced landing on top of Sparrow, who was left kicking and screaming as Reaver laughed as he playfully bit part of her exposed shoulder. She screamed again and managed this time to kick him off. She glared at him as her cheeks burned a bright maroon and she sat like a flustered bird who had its feathers ruffled. Reaver grinned as he sat where he was sprawled and licked his lips. A deep chuckle reverberated through his chest as Sparrow nursed the bite trying to cover it up with her tunic with out much success.

From the other side of the fire Corban glared furiously at the two, but as he leaned forward to stand Garth grabbed his arm. The man looked down at Garth who shook his head.

"He is only doing it to get arise out of the both you and Sparrow," the mage said, "its one of his sick games, so don't bother with it."

Corban breathed deeply to calm himself and sat where he had been, kneading his palms into his breeches. Garth patted him in the shoulder as he put his map away. He cleared his throat and made a uncertain smile.

"We might have a job finding the ruins," he said thoughtfully as he stroked his beard, "it is some ways east of our current position. Me and Corban believe that we will reach it in two days, possibly in the evening of the third day. However, you should know, even if we find its relative position it is buried by thousands of years worth of sand. We may have to dig for it."

Reaver made an exasperated snort that made Sparrow chuckle.

"Frightened of breaking a nail?" she asked. Reaver sighed, rolling his eyes and flipped her off, which made her laugh again. Corban looked sideways at Garth with his eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

"Are they always like this?" he asked in a low voice.

Garth nodded with a wry smiled. "Usually."

Lorna watched with her innocent eyes as the Ginrul chick laid its head in her lap. She peered down at the leaf covered floor as she her thoughts ordered themselves. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at Sparrow who smiled tenderly down at her. Lorna smiled brightly back and trotted off to her tent that she would share with Sparrow. It was leant against one of the vast trees that surrounded the small clearing, nestled between two roots that were just as think as the trunk and were twisted fiercely as they sunk into the ground. As Sparrow followed the small Ginrul cautiously padded over to the tent and nudged the flap aside with its beak, and peered inside it before disappearing within.

Sparrow looked up from the bag as the chick made its way through the small space to where Lorna was knelt on her bedroll trying to remove her clothing. Sparrow chuckled as she put aside a night dress from her bag. She helped Lorna with her dress and folded it neatly putting it on top of the bag. She looked down at the half naked child with a sad smile. From her wrist to her elbow was a long, thin white scar. A fateful reminder of that day when they first met, then as Lorna twisted to remove her undergarments Sparrow saw the worse scar she had ever seen. A warped shape of skin where this small girls flesh was branded. Sparrow knew what it was as she had seen many in her lifetime; the branding of slavery.

Sparrow tentatively touched the girl on the head stroking her soft hair before helping her with her nightdress. Lorna peered up at her with he mauve eyes knowing reason for Sparrow's silence. Sparrow cupped the child's cheeks with both hands and placed a tender kiss upon the child's forehead. Lorna smiled and laid down upon the bedroll as Sparrow pulled her blanket over the girl's body.

"Goodnight my dear Lorna," Sparrow said patting her once more on the head and getting up to leave the tent.

"Goodnight..." Lorna said and then as Sparrow disappeared she whispered, "mother." She sniffled as the Ginrul chick snuggled up to her the warmth of its body giving her a small measure of comfort.

The next morning Lorna climbed out of her bedroll to find Sparrow's empty. Curiosity bubbled on the edge of panic as she opened to the flap of her tent. She sighed then when she saw Sparrow leant over pan poking what Lorna could tell was bacon by the smell that emanated from the fire. She trotted over with the Ginrul close behind her and peered over the girls shoulder as Lorna stopped by the fire.

Lorna watched Sparrow for a moment noting she was dressed very differently form normal. She was wearing her usual mid-calf boots but she was wearing a pair of trousers that were died a black with a sash that was true blue, whilst she wore what she could swear she had seen some bandits wear, but this was died a dark blue whilst the crop jacket was more a deep sky blue. Lorna's mouth fell open a little as she stared at Sparrow. She never seen Sparrow dressed this way and as the woman stood, towering over the girl, Lorna was given a sense of wonder and from her Lorna could feel experience and least of all 'power'. What surprised her most was the fact she could see some of Sparrow's bra, but she was not going to mention that as she saw Reaver emerge from another tent attracted by the smell of cooking bacon. Lorna watched as the man's eyes swept over Sparrow a look of recognition crossing his face with the hint of something else.

"Isn't that what you wore when we first met?" he asked tilting his head curiously.

Sparrow plucked at her crop jacket with a mock grimace. "Yup, it was, I had this feeling we may be encountering a lot of combat in the near future and I figured you can't really fight in a skirt, at least not very well."

Reaver nodded enthusiastically. "That is very true," he said as he walked passed her, "Plus I prefer

it." He smirked as he patted her on the bum before sitting beside the fire. Sparrow stiffened and looked down at Lorna, whose eyes danced in amusement.

"He really is pushing his luck, isn't he."

Lorna nodded as she giggled. Sparrow sighed and returned to dealing with breakfast. Not long after breakfast was consumed and Lorna was dressed, they set out to follow Garth though the dense undergrowth. As they travelled Sparrow could feel the air become drier and though the undergrowth did not thin she had this feeling that the desert was near. Yet when they broke through the line of trees it came as a shock to her to see it appear so abruptly. She sat upon her Ginrul, with Lorna nestled between her knees, gaping at the sea of white. On the far horizon the jagged teeth of a mountain range could be seen with their immense caps of white nearly touching the sky. The sand dunes rolled and dipped like static waves of water as the wind danced through picking up sand creating twisting funnels of white.

Sparrow sheltered her eyes from the glare of the sun reflecting off the sand as she turned to Garth.

"Is this the Araga desert?" she asked the mage who nodded whilst fiddling around in his bags. Sparrow watched as he with drew a white bandana and wrapped it round his eyes. When he straightened Sparrow tilted her head curiously. Across his eyes where thin slits and as he turned his head she could just make out his glowing eyes.

"Garth, what is that?" she asked, blinking in the harsh light.

Garth chuckled. "Its a way of protecting the eyes," he explained, "the light reflecting of the sand can eventually blind you so the slits stop huge amounts of light from bombarding your eyes."

Reaver peered curiously at the mage and nodded taking from his hip the sash that he had wrapped about himself. Then with a small dagger he drew from his boot made two slits and tied it about his head making not just a mask but a form of head wear that covered his whole head to prevent his brains from cooking beneath the suns heat. Garth looked at the pirate with an amused twist of his lips.

"Very clever Reaver," he murmured reluctantly, "Very fetching."

Reaver chuckled as Sparrow looked inside her bag for something similar. She pulled out a bandana and a sash. She fixed the bandana and wrapped it about her head, the sash she gave to Lorna. She looked up at the others through the slits adjusting to her now reduced peripheral vision. This disconcerted her, but knew it was necessary. Did not mean she had to like it though.

"Now what?" she asked of the mage.

The pirate was the first answer with a huge grin. "We run."

"Run?" Sparrow asked in curiosity that held a hint of fear.

"We chose Ginrul for a reason," Garth said with an impish grin, "they are the fastest creatures in the desert and perfectly suited to the environment. This way it will only take two days instead of six."

Before she could question further Garth shot off in a cloud of sand and she sputtered. She watched in awe as the Ginrul's sporting both Garth and Reaver sped off at incredible speeds. Her jaw fell open, and before she knew it she and Lorna were left alone as Corban sped off to join them. She let loose an annoyed growl. With a kick of her heels the Ginrul surged forward with such force that she nearly fell off and with a cry of surprise she grasped a hold of the fluffy feathers before she tumbled to the ground. Lorna peered up with concern, but Sparrow patted the girls head to assure her she was fine. It was not long before she caught up and they charged confidently across the desert.

Above them a crow soared upon the air thermals that rose and swirled from the desert floor. It watched the group with its keen, dark eyes. It dipped under a cloud so that the group never left its sight. From its vantage point, high in the sky, it could see for miles and the desert lay for miles in either direction apart from behind it as the green jungle lay to the west. Due east, amongst some dunes, it could see a thin spire rise from the sands. It stared at it speculatively before its attention returned to the group flying on in silence.

When they stopped to camp Garth and Corban made a point of using the Ginrul as wind breaks. Sparrow was curious as to why, but as night fell upon the desert she found out exactly why. The temperature dropped so far that Sparrow feared she may freeze solid in her sleep. She found herself snuggling closer to her Ginrul while Lorna was snuggled closer to her for warmth. The next day passed very much like the next but as Sparrow looked back she looked upon the ever growing distance between her and the jungle with growing bewilderment. When Garth said they could cover great distances with ease she did not think it was literally.

When they camped for the second night in the desert she took a moment to look at the mountains that were now beginning to loom above them. The distance seemed shorter for it though she knew they must have quite a distance to go. She looked behind her at where the Ginrul had been laid out in a circle about their small camp with the tents built more like canopies from their bodies. They were nestled in the sand like nesting hens with their arched necks bent into 'S' shapes as they rested. It was a strange sight for Sparrow, but she conceded that she liked it. As she stood there Corban approached with a cup of warm tea which she took gratefully to fight off the growing chill. She could just see Reaver's form staring at her and daringly she turned to Corban and began to chat idly with the Samarkandian much to Reaver's evident annoyance. For some reason this brought her great pleasure.

Early the next morning Sparrow was going through her bags while Lorna fed the white Ginrul with scraps of their breakfast. She pulled out one of her skirts and as she did so something fell to the sand with a dull thud. She looked down curiously and a small black box sat sedately amongst the grains. She bent to pick it up and as she opened it she immediately snapped it shut again. Her breath was caught in her throat as a lump rose to clog her wind pipe. She took a deep breath and reopened the box staring at the ring within. No wonder she did not see it back on that market stall, someone had bought it, but who. Her eyes looked up and scanned the three men that were busy doing one thing or another. Corban sensed her gaze and looked up from where he was folding a square of canvas. He gave her a shy smile and went about what he was doing. A suspicion rose in her as she slipped the ring upon her finger. It fit just right upon her middle finger of her left hand, the blue sapphire glittering in the sunlight. She smiled girlishly, the knowing that someone might like her made her feel a strange sense of pleasure that raced through her. She thought she would test them to see who would notice first. As she packed away various items she sensed someone approach and she turned to see Reaver. She sighed with disappointment returning to what she was doing. He watched her for a moment and made a noise of surprise.

"That's a nice ring," he commented touching her hand gently.

She snatched it back and glared at him balefully. "Thank you."

"Where did you get it?" he asked curiously looking at her blankly from the corner of his eye.

"If you nick it I am going to kick your arse, you hear."

He stiffened and looked like had been insulted. "I am well aware of that fact and would not dream of 'nicking' from you as you so eloquently put it." With a sour harrumph he walked off muttering to himself. She watched him walk away wondering what had got his goat.

They continued their journey across the sand but Garth called for them to stop sometime in the early afternoon. Perplexed she pulled her Ginrul beside the mage. "What's wrong Garth?" she asked as he jumped down from the animal with a nimbleness that did not befit his age. He nudged the sand with his foot and looked about with a scowl.

"Fine don't tell me," she huffed as Lorna giggled from between her knees. The rest followed suit using the respite as more of an excuse to ease aching bones caused by long hours in the saddle. Reaver followed Garth casting Sparrow heated glances. Sparrow ignored him as she fed Lorna some water.

Lorna gulped the tepid water grimacing at how warm it felt as it trickled down her parched throat. She suddenly froze when the necklace about her neck vibrated. This time it was not in urgency but as if it were trying to encourage her to do something. Reacting to it she walked past Sparrow and up to Garth. She tugged on the mage's coat and point into the sand. The mage followed the finger with his eyes and peered curiously at the spot that she pointed too. Reaver made a scoffing noise.

"There is nothing here Garth," he whined as he looked about with disinterest.

"There is, even Lorna is confirming it," Garth patiently told the pirate who made another noise of disgust.

"That as the case maybe, but I cannot see anything," he then grimaced as he ventured further to where Lorna had pointed, "We're not going to have to dig are we."

"Hopefully not," the mage conceded.

"Don't go too far Reaver," Corban shouted to the pirate.

Reaver rolled his eyes. "Oh really, why is that, its not like anything is going too..."

His sentence was cut short as his feet sunk and with a cry he disappeared beneath the sand. They all charged forward to where Reaver had been standing and looked down into a dark hole to see Reaver sprawled in a circle of light blinking up at them in a daze.

"Why does this type of thing happen to me," he groaned as he sat up dusting himself down. He looked about the dense void of shadow that surrounded him before looking up at the pinpoint of light in the ceiling. Four faces stared down at him worriedly.

"Are you alright Reaver?" Garth's voice echoed down to him the sound of the mage's deep voice vibrated in the void of black sending chills across his skin.

"I'm fine," he shouted back as he dusted sand from his hair.

"That's the second time I've heard you scream like a girl Reaver," Sparrow laughed down at him, beside her Lorna giggled.

"Oh Shut up!"

Sparrow laughed as they left him momentarily. He stood waiting in the circle of light until a rope spiralled down to meet him so he grabbed it to keep it steady. Garth was the first to descend as he slid with ease down the rope. Next Sparrow slid down it with Lorna clung to her back. As she landed softly on her feet Reaver looked up to see Corban staring down at them with a small wave. Questioningly he looked to Sparrow who shrugged seemingly annoyed.

"Why is he still up there?" he asked the women who held a curious Lorna close to herself.

"He said some one should stay with the Ginrul, just incase they run off or something," she replied in a monotone voice. Reaver noted her depressed tone so he gave her an encouraging smile and patted her on the bum with a cheeky smirk.

"Cheer up duck," he said as she let loose a squeak. She stared after him as he followed the light of Garth's sputtering torch. Lorna looked up at the woman as Sparrow lit her own torch and proceeded to follow grasping her hand firmly.

As they stepped lightly down the stone corridor the light from their torches revealed smooth stone surfaces with vast faded and cracked murals of past events. They were mainly of what seemed to be of great hunts depicting giant animals that, in Sparrow's mind, held no names and they were totally alien. Other murals were of past conflicts that were evidently won painting a gruesome story of ancient Samarkand. She shivered as the thought that they were the first people to tread these halls for over a thousand years crept over her. She kept close to the others with Lorna firmly in hand.

"This is supposed to be a temple, right?" Reaver asked as he stared at a particularly grizzly scene of a man decapitating what must have been a foe.

"You can say that though I would use the word temple rather loosely," Garth replied as Reaver continued to follow, "You see in ancient Samarkand it was believed that the gods desired human sacrifice so we sacrificed the blood of our foes. This way we gained honour amongst our clans and favour with the gods." Garth visibly shivered. "I am so glad we grew out of that."

"Or there wouldn't of been much left am I correct in saying," Reaver said and Garth smiled ruefully.

"You undoubtedly hit the mark."

"Don't I always," Reaver smirked.

Sparrow shook her head her eyes rolling skyward. Their footsteps continued to echo along the corridor as they continued, the corridor felt like it proceeded forever until it opened up to a vast chamber. As they trod down a great staircase their torches were barely able to penetrate the darkness. When they eventually got to the bottom they carefully made their way past vast pillars that disappeared into the dense darkness above their heads. About the pillars were similar murals but depicted more worship than conflict which suggested to them this was indeed the main chamber.

"This is a stroke of luck," Garth commented as he stood beside what looked like a pool spread out before them like a mini lake.

"If you say so," Reaver commented as he peered into the greenish liquid, "Wait a moment, this looks familiar, Sparrow does this look like that pool we fell in back at that castle?"

Attracted by the Pirates voice she looked down at the pool curiously. She leant down and stared at it for a moment before nodding.

"It definitely looks like it," she replied looking about pools edge, "And look, with pillars surrounding it too."

Garth questioned them and they explained that they fell into a similar pool back at the castle where Reaver was held captive by the masked stranger. Garth nodded.

"It was rumoured that rich and wealthy leaders had pools of rejuvenating health," he explained, "they would gather water from special underground springs and it was said that the water could cure any ailment of the body and cleanse the blood of poison."

"That explains him then," Sparrow said jerking her thumb at the pirate.

"Do you mind, that was no fault of mine," Reaver scoffed looking away.

Sparrow laughed as she edged her way around the pool the sound of her voice intensifying the mirth. Reaver scowled darkly as he followed with Garth who had an amused smile on his lips. Disgusted, the pirate refused to even look at him as they made their way round a corner of the pool and came across a ledge that reached out over the pool with a pedestal at the end. Lorna trotted over and walked carefully along the thin ledge to the pedestal, which she climbed on peering into the dark water below. Sparrow called out for her to be careful, but Reaver told her not to worry and made his way over to make sure the small girl did not slip and fall.

Sparrow watched him approach the girl with a confused frown and looked to Garth who stood beside her with both their torches held high as his eyes scanned a vast mural. She looked up and upon the wall was massive mural stretching nearly forty feet above them of a man with dark skin. He was dressed in an ornate robe that swept around him in vast folds and about his neck was the same necklace that was now clasped about Lorna's neck. In one hand was what looked like a blank sheet of parchment and the other hand was rested atop of the head of a gigantic feline that stared down at them with white eyes. The man himself stared at them with similar white eyes and staring into them sent shivers racing up her spine.

"What kind of cat is that?" she asked as she looked over at Garth who was inspecting a small hole in the wall.

"It's an Aswali beast," he replied tracing his finger about the edge of the hole noting that there were small claw marks, "They have been extinct for centuries."

"Tell that to the one we saw three days ago," a voice echoed behind them and they turned to see Reaver staring up at the mural with Lorna looking about the pirate's side with a frown.

"Your not serious?" Garth asked incredulously as Reaver approached with Lorna clinging carefully to the back of his coat. The pirate peered up at the mural and nodded affirmatively. Garth tapped his chin thoughtfully as he regarded the floor.

"Things certainly are getting stranger," he commented to no in particular. Silence fell between them and it was then Sparrow noticed a strange ringing that permeated her eardrums in a rhythm that had begun to irritate her. She was not the only one to notice as Lorna covered ears and Reaver shook his head as if to clear it. As Sparrow listened closer the ringing turned to squeaking. Her first thought were bats, but as she listened closer the discordant sound was too disembodied to be bats. Then from the hole behind Garth a funnel of light appeared growing stronger and stronger as the sound intensified to a near screeching. Amidst the screeches the tight flutter of wings was heard.

They clustered about the hole watching as the light grew stronger, then with out warning orbs of bright white light burst from the hole, no larger than Sparrow's fist and orbs swarmed like insects in the centre of the chamber in a vast vortex of light that whizzed in dizzying circles. Fearing she may puke Sparrow looked away, but it was Garth's cry of alarm that made her look at the mage then up at the mural. She gasped and took a step back. The blank sheet was no longer blank, but had drawn upon it a map of intricate detail. However, what amazed her more was that the mural had moved. His hand was pointed to the pool and as she moved further back she noticed that the feline was now looking to the map. This was odd, why would the feline be looking at the map.

Sparrow had not noticed how close she had got to the pool and when Lorna let out a cry she was too late. The woman stumbled and fell clumsily into the pool causing the water to slosh over the edges. As she tried to gain stability in the whirling liquid she felt a hand grab her wrist and she was hurled from the pool gasping and spluttering. She knelt on the edge and looked up at a now damp Reaver who glared down at her as the illuminated tornado continued to spin above their heads highlighting the worried creases of his face. The water dripped from her clothes and hair causing a puddle to form on the floor.

"What is it with you and water?" he asked in what Sparrow could tell was a worried tone.

She sat there and blinked at him incomprehensibly as she felt a little light headed. She suddenly began to giggle while the peeved pirate glared at her.

"What is so damned funny!?" he half shouted and she shook her head unable to get a word out as her laughter caused her to double over. For some reason she found the whole thing terribly hilarious, but she had no idea why.

Garth smiled uncertainly as he made his way along the ledge. He looked up at the swirling mass and from what he could see they were not wisps, but something else entirely. He took out the old piece of blank parchment and across it the light brought forth an image of intense and intricate detail that made Garth gasp in wonder. He stared at it as a hand tugged at his coat and he looked down at Lorna who stared at the lights that circled above them.

"What are they Garth?" she asked and Garth shook his head.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted, "I haven't found anything like in any of the bestiaries in all the libraries I have been too."

They both looked up. As Garth watched the lights dance as Lorna made her way to the pedestal and stood upon it reaching out towards the lights making a high pitched whistling sound. Garth turned to look at her and watched in astonishment as one light detached itself from the throng and hovered uncertainly in front of the child. She giggled as it landed upon her out stretched palms and as Garth drew closer his eyes widened. Lorna turned slightly to look at the mage with a huge grin. A multitude of questions filled Garth as he looked from Lorna then down at the creature now sitting in her palm.

It was no larger than her hand and its head seemed strangely larger and disproportionate from its body, which was thin and insect like. Its four legs were long and were attached to an abdomen that was segmented. Its chest, or thorax, Garth thought correcting himself, was stout and it had thin arms with hands with three spindly fingers. It tilted its oval shaped head its antennae bobbing as its large pink eyes regarded the humans with curiosity. The source of the light, Garth noted, was its magnificent wings that shone and became illuminated when it flapped them. It seemed also to twitter and trill like a small bird much to Lorna's delight. In response to the light the necklace about her neck seemed to glow almost happily.

Then something seemed to disturb the creatures as the dance intensified and the white light changed to a dull orange. Even the trilling changed to a screeching of terrified birds. Lorna looked to Garth who turned to Sparrow and Reaver who had settled to arguing quietly on the pools edge. Even they had noticed the change and had turned to look into the darkness. Panic began to arise in Garth and grabbed the small girls arm who had let the little creature go. The little thing shot from side to side as if trying to make up its mind then began to follow them along the ledge.

"What's going on?!" Sparrow shouted over the din as she grimaced.

"I'm not sure," Garth replied, "They must be reacting to a danger we can't even feel. Either way I think we should leave!"

The other two nodded in agreement and they turned to go the way they had come when a dark shadow shot across them. A loud roar made them freeze in their tracks and something surged and loomed in the darkness as if moulded by the very shadows itself.

"This can't be good," Reaver muttered as it loomed closer.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I definitely think this was better than the last chapter. Well I apologise once again, uni work sucks as always, but I have finally managed to update. Things are about to get exciting now and I find myself looking forward to writing them.

I hope you do enjoy this chapter as I do feel the last one was a bit of a flop. I will get to re-writing certain chapters, but that probably won't be until I finish the whole thing. Well read and review folks if you have enjoyed. Any criticism is accepted as long as it's constructive, lol. Till the next time X3


	13. My Shadow is Telling to do Things

Corban watched as they disappeared within the hole leaving him alone in the blistering heat of the desert. He settled himself under a canopy leaning against the Ginrul that dozed in the heat. There was nought but the sound of the wind whispering over the sands and the breathing of the Ginrul. As he relaxed his thoughts drifted, memories filtering through his mind. The memory from the other night was prominent in his mind though he knew Sparrow would not remember. She was after all more than just a little drunk, but when he made his advances on the women she reacted in an unexpected fashion. The rejection was forceful considering her state of mind, however the look in her eyes still haunted him. The pain, the loneliness and the resentment, but for whom he did not know. His initial thought was Reaver, but as he thought about it maybe it was something deeper. He then made a mental rebuke to himself. He should not be thinking such things, but he could not help but feel something for the sad little sparrow who seemed caged by her own devices and yet was made all the more beautiful by it.

A suddenly chill brought him out of his reverie and he looked up from under the tent canopy. He gasped in shock as he saw the black speck of a crow fly over head and he jumped to his feet his hand grabbing a cutlass as he stood. In a frenzied circle he moved his cutlass held in a battle ready manner as his eyes peered into the heat induced haze of the surrounding desert.

From behind a startled Ginrul a figure emerged glancing at Corban amusedly though his face was hidden by a mask. Corban whirled round and they faced each other, the look of hate and anger on Corban's face would of intimidated a weaker man, but the thing that stood before him, Corban was not sure whether he was still a man.

"I dare say this is apt timing on my part, don't you think?" Adren said his voice dripping with malice as he regarded Corban. Corban scowled and raised his cutlass threateningly.

"What do you want!?"

Adren stood for a moment appearing in thought till he moved to walk around Corban who jerked at the sudden movement. Adren ambled slowly like a prowling feline that was stalking its prey.

"Hmm, Corban is it now? I am here to make things a little more interesting," the man said with a cruel laugh. Corban's expression changed to concern.

"What are you going to do?" his voice was traced with panic, but his hand remained steady. Adren stopped and looked down at the blade that was pointed at his heart and fingered the tip relishing in the pain that seared through the gloved flesh as it dug into him. He chuckled darkly.

"Its a surprise," was the cryptic response as he flicked the blade aside and smashed his fist square into Corban's nose. The crack of bone sounded in Corban's ears and pain ricocheted through his skull causing him to cry out involuntarily. He crumbled to the floor and as he lay there his hand tentatively went to his nose as blood trickled gently over his full lips.

Adren knelt beside him and peered into the mans face, his own hidden by the mask and he chuckled again more. He patted Corban's head as he pulled out a small black ball from inside of his long coat. Panic spread across Corban's face as he recognised the ball and he shook his head slowly.

"No, please," he pleaded, "no, not that, they don't deserve that."

"Oh shut up," Adren slapped Corban harshly across the face leaving stars stinging behind the man's eye lids, "Am not best pleased with you as it is so please don't talk. Its annoying hearing you plead for your so called _'friends'. _What a hateful concept, friends. Did well enough before so why now. Better off alone I always say." Adren looked down at Corban disdainfully as the man blinked to focus his eyes. Adren snorted and stood walking over to one of the Ginrul fowl. After a moment he returned to look down at Corban.

He stood there, still as a statue, moments ticking passed. "Good night Corban, see you soon," with that he kicked Corban in the face leaving a large red mark as Corban passed into unconsciousness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Above the roar of noise Sparrow shouted at everyone to fall back. The shadow continued to loom over them and they watched in revulsion as it pulsated, then collapsed into hundreds of small spindly creatures that oozed out of the shadows. The shadowy creatures screeched as they leapt, their shiny hides rippling under the dim light from the tornado of light. They swarmed and clambered round the group as shots fired off leaving Reaver's pistol smoking, but as fast as he could reload another replaced the fallen just as fast.

They were slowly forced back as the creatures surrounded them growling and screeching. Their beetle black eyes filled with a deep hunger as they continued to force down upon the panicking humans. Lorna clutched at the back of Sparrow's shirt as an idea came to her mind a strange calmness snaking about her fear, constricting it till it was nothing. The necklace vibrated against her chest encouragingly. As shots, will and the singing of striking metal added to the clamour of animalistic screeching she opened her mouth and from it issued a pure, striking note that cut through the horrific din. The shadowy creatures stopped, pawing at each other and the ground in confusion and as the girls voice began to rise through a clear scale a hum joined her. The hum set a startling vibration through the room and the adults eyes trailed to the swarm that whirled faster and faster changing from a glowing orange to furious red that stung their eyes. They shielded themselves from the brightness and with out warning the the swarm descended upon the creatures, and though they did not hurt them physically the light of their wings caused them to scream in pain and recoil violently. Taking advantage of the confusion the group made a run for it as the swarm danced amongst the creatures so that they were unable to attack.

Taking a hold of Lorna, Sparrow sprinted in and out of flailing creatures that scrambled about trying to avoid the insects that dove straight for them. As Lorna clutched at Sparrow one small insect landed on her arm and she looked at it curiously. It was glowing a faint red colour, not as intense as its friends, but it seemed to twitter and move erratically as if to convey a sense of urgency. Lorna did not need to be told twice, but as she listened it was trying to say something else this much she could tell.

As they made their way ducking and weaving Reaver let out a cry. Sparrow whipped round to see Garth tumble to ground Reaver following closely with a deep gash across his shoulder. "Reaver?!"

He waved his hand furiously telling the women to keep going and as Garth picked himself up he dragged the pirate to his feet. Sparrow kept going as the small insect like creature fluttered in front of her face in an annoying manner trying to gain her attention frequently going to Lorna as if to say 'make her listen to me'.

Lorna then tugged at Sparrow's arm looking at the women very seriously. "I think he wants you to follow him, Sparrow!"

"He?"

Lorna nodded and so with a sigh she followed the girl's suggestion much to the small creatures delight as its red became a light green for a split second. It wound its way through the mass of disturbed bodies until it reached a door that seemed frozen solid. The little insect buzzed in front of it a moment before disappearing leaving them in darkness once more. As the insects seemed to keep the creatures occupied Reaver leant against Garth who had crudely fixed a bandage across his shoulder. Sparrow touched him lightly on the shirt glad that he could not see the worry on her face in the dark. The knot seemed to constrict around her stomach much like when she saved him from that damned castle. This thought unsettled her as the door hissed open and she stepped through followed by the others. It slammed closed with a dull clunk and they took the moment to take a few breaths to calm the vibrating nerves. The little insect wiped through and circled Lorna's head before sitting on her shoulder glowing a triumphant dark blue.

"Looks like you have a new friend, poppet," Reaver breathed as he sat near to where she stood staring at his wounded shoulder that was barely visible by the light of the torch that Garth still had in his hand. Sparrow had long since discarded hers in favour of full use of her hands.

Lorna looked up at Sparrow who knelt beside him and inspected his shoulder with the critical eye of one used to seeing the grizzly effects of battle. She removed the crude bandage that Garth had made and took from a pouch just inside of her jacket a small bottle. With gentle hands she then removed the pirates jacket and cloak, but to his horror she ripped the cloak into strips.

"What in blazes women!" he scolded loudly, "That cost me a fortune!"

"Oh, the price of fashion," she retorted sarcastically, "why someone would wear something so expensive into battle is beyond me."

Reaver gave her scathing glare. "I would not expect you to understand," he huffed looking away like a sulky child. Sparrow sighed and applied the lotion from the bottle on to the fabric, then not so gently wrapped his shoulder. Reaver winced and shot her an angry scowl her reply was a smirk not unlike the one he often wore. When she was finished he flexed his arm gently feeling the lotions effect almost immediately. She tugged him to his feet just as a loud crash made the door vibrate. Sparrow jolted her hand whipping to the handle of her blade. She stared at the indent that was made until another made her jump.

"We better keep moving," she muttered and the others nodded in agreement.

As they turned to run up the passage way Reaver glanced to the shadow on the wall made by the flicking flame of the mage's torch. It gave the pirate a cheeky wave and Reaver scowled more out of annoyance. It made a gesture and pointed down the corridor. Reaver nodded and followed its length.

The insect that had taken to fluttering protectively around Lorna's head suddenly swooped past them all and hovered at a junction that went into two separate directions. Reaver glanced to his shadow and gave the object of dark space a questioning look. It pointed down the left passage and with out even considering whether the other three were following he made his way down it. Garth called out to him but the pirate did not respond as the insect followed to serve as a guiding light. With an infuriated sigh they followed. This went on for what seemed like miles until they stopped to find Reaver staring at a wall. Sparrow stood at his side peering at it her eyes suddenly widening.

"What is it?" Garth asked as he came to stand behind them. He looked upon the wall gravely a feeling of weary familiarity descending upon him. Upon the wall was a mural in the same design as much of the temple, but this seemed out of place amongst the floral designs that had dominated most of these passageways. In the very centre was a small girl sat in a meditative crouch with a strange symbol sitting in her cupped hands, but she was her back was partially turned to them exposing what looked like an emblem on her shoulder. Above her head was a blazing sun with symbols inscribed around the edge and he knew this image immediately as the Samarkandian Mage Syndicate seal as he had one tattooed upon his person. However, beneath her was what looked like a curled feline in a submissive stance suggesting that it was there to do her bidding. On one side, just in front of her, were two birds curled about each other inside of a cage, but behind her was shadow with a mask clasped in the talons of a crow the eyes ablaze with an orange energy. The images struck him deeply the thought of prediction was prominent in his mind. He looked at the pirate and heroine before him with a sense of knowing and he could tell they felt the same. He looked down at the child with a thoughtful frown. She stared back with a sorrowful look that melted his heart. It was then he realised that she must of known, but how could she. He shook his head and looked back to the images his torch casting Sparrow and Reaver's shadows upon the wall.

Sparrow looked at Reaver her brow creased with confusion, but his face was unreadable as he watched his shadow point to the girls cupped hands. As he moved forward to inspect it Sparrow stared in disbelief as his shadow moved of its own volition. She went to question him, but he spoke first.

"Sparrow, be a dear and insert you Katana into this slot," he remarked smoothly. Sparrow looked to Garth who had a serious frown on his will lined face and he nodded. She slid the blade from its sheath with a steely hiss and approached the wall. She looked from Reaver to the wall with a resigned sigh. She hesitated sweeping a hand over the image of the two caged birds before plunging the blade with surgical precision into the slot indicated to her. As she removed her blade the ground quaked and shuddered as the wall ascended up into the ceiling. With hurried movements they rushed inside only to find the wall crashed closed behind them. Sparrow rushed to it and hammered her fist futile on the stone surface. She growled and glared at Reaver.

Reaver glanced in her direction with a mild expression and pointed to the wall opposite him. She turned to see what he was pointing at and gasped in relief to see a staircase winding its way upwards. She walked up to Reaver and whacked him hard across the arm with a sulky pout. He stared at her noting her accusing look.

"What in all of Albion was that for!" he exclaimed but she turned away from him clenching her teeth slightly remaining silent. Reaver growled in exasperation and his shadow pointed at him doubling over in silent laughter. Reaver glared at it and spat on the floor contemptuously where his shadow visibly flipped him off. Garth stood by the pirate's shoulder and looked down at the swearing shadow with a chuckle.

"You know, if I had not seen it with my own two eyes I would of thought you were mad," the Mage remarked, "oh and we are going to discuss that when we get topside." He chuckled as he walked up to the staircase with Reaver glaring at his back.

As they climbed the steep winding steps Sparrow was beginning to feel nauseous from the continuous circular movement. She panted heavily with sweat beading on her brow as she followed the two men up the stair case with Lorna keeping pace beside her. Her eyes kept glancing upwards leaving a heat on her cheeks. Reaver was directly in front of her and as she tore apart his cloak to make a bandage it left him rather exposed. To say the least the view was... more enjoyable than she was willing to accept. _Denile, _screamed a voice in her head, but she ignored it concentrating on keeping a sure footing on the awkward steps. When they got to the top sand covered the floor and sloping banks of sand rose from the floor up to the top of the windows that it poured in through. At the top of one such window was a gap letting a stream of light through and left a glowing patch on the floor. Curious, the little insect that had taken to using Lorna's head for a roost approached the patch of light unsure of what to make of it.

Lorna giggled and scooped up the insect as the adults set about pulling down some of the sand so that there was a gap big enough for them to crawl through. When that was done Sparrow climbed up the slope to the top finding it hard to keep a footing when the sand gave way beneath her weight. _This is like trying to climb water, _she thought to herself. She grasped the top of the window to try and use it for leverage, but that did not work as she slid back to the bottom of the slope sputtering sand from her mouth. She muttered a dark curse and a tutting noise made her glare at Reaver who grinned boyishly. She rolled her eyes as a light blush stung her cheeks and began her climb again managing to keep her footing this time as she grasped the sides of the window frame but her feet kept sliding in the sand. Garth and Reaver grasped both her feet and pushed her upwards until she managed to scramble through the hole. Lorna cheered and giggled when Sparrow gave her a thumbs up.

When everyone was standing in the blaze of the desert they took pleasure in the warmth of the sun and the light bathing their skin before going to find their camp. They could see from where they stood the Ginrul sitting in the circle just as they left them. The little insect buried itself inside Lorna's dress deciding it did not like the heat and light of the desert as they began the slow walk back.

Garth took out the map and sighed as the blankness stared at him almost mockingly. He felt a little deflated as they went to all that trouble only to have it all in vane. When he mentioned this to Reaver the pirate made a derisive snort.

"Don't be a ninny," Reaver scoffed, "It was those faery things that made the map appear wasn't it."

"Well yes," Garth's eyes widened as he realised what Reaver was hinting at as the Pirate regarded him with amusement. "Oh."

Reaver laughed and shook his head as he looked down at Lorna who was skipping by Sparrow's side. A smile of relief illuminated Sparrow's face which made Reaver sigh in resignation. He turned away and touched his shoulder gingerly. Sourness had begun to settle in now, but he hoped the main wound was mostly healed. He thanked his lucky stars then for healing potions. As they neared the camp an odd feeling crept over him, like something was not right. When they cambered round the large forms of the Ginrul and the lifeless form of Corban laying on the sand greeted them.

Immediately Garth and Sparrow rushed to his side, but Reaver looked unconcerned as he lounged against his Ginrul, eyeing the spectacle with disdain. They fussed and fawned over the unconscious Samarkandian and yet nothing in the man inspired, well, any sort of positive emotion in him. He hated the man plain and simple, but yet he could not help feel a little jealous as Sparrow treated the man's injuries. To his knowledge she had never looked at him with such worry and care before. He sighed and made a furrow in the sand much like the Ginrul had, and sat in it watching with disinterest. Lorna copied him and sat beside the pirate with a look of understanding. With her hands covering the spot where the insect was curled up against her chest she leant against his arm. He blinked in surprise and looked down, then sighed shaking his head. _I'm getting to old for this, _he thought demurely to himself.

When they managed to resuscitate Corban he remained vague about who jumped him and similarly broke his nose. Reaver however had his suspicions as a masked face entered his mind. He refused to even think about it as seeing that face always caused him to freeze up with fear. He should not feel fear, he was the Thief King! People should fear him, he was Reaver and yet ever since that fateful meeting he had been feeling weakened by it, he hated it.

Despite the injuries sustained above and below they all mutually agreed that putting as much distance between them and the buried temple was more than prudent. The jolting movements of the speeding Ginrul caused muffled moans and groans of pain, so, when the chill of night began to creep over the desert followed by the darkening twilight blanket of stars, Sparrow decided she had, had enough. They made camp and clustered around a meagre fire that sputtered contemptuously at them from its pit. The glow illuminated their faces as they ate in silence. A soft pin point of light circled their heads glowing a cheery yellow.

Conversation did not come easy that evening as the mood hung heavy with revelations. Garth had encouraged the little faery, as Reaver called it, to sit on his knee so he could see the map in the darkness. He scanned it making mental notes and Lorna peered curiously over his arm blinking cutely as she regarded the parchment. The map seemed rather complicated as contours of mountains and lowlands were drawn with painstaking care. What caught Lorna's eye was the the tiny and yet highly detailed castles, villages and caves. It also had inscribed upon it the images of creatures long extinct (maybe) in various places where one may of encountered them. The rivers and lakes looked so real that Lorna could almost believe that water was following across the page. She watched Garth's long finger trail from their estimated position down to a coast line where the digit stopped and tapped the page thoughtfully. Garth's finger then trailed over a body of water to poke at an island. Garth scowled as Lorna's Faery crawled down the page to scratch the area that Garth poked. Lorna giggled and scooped it up to nuzzle it gently, Garth watched with an amused smile.

Garth folded the map away and Corban gave the mage a curious glance, as Garth scratched his beard in thought.

"It would seem we will have to travel south, very south," the mage commented dryly as he looked at his friends with a grim smile.

"That's an awfully long way," Lorna pouted snuggling up to Sparrow who absently put her arm protectively about the girl.

"How much of a long way?" Corban asked touching his nose gingerly.

"Well we have to get to the south coast," Garth explained, "According to the map, Jupitus' fortress is secluded on an island just off the tip of southern Samarkand."

"Great," Corban spat, "that area is amongst the most treacherous waters in the southern seas. How are suppose to traverse something so dangerous."

Reaver listened musing to himself when a smile appeared on his sensuous lips. "Ahh, I remember those seas well," he breathed a reminiscing sigh and grinned, "Nearly made my ship capsize. That was one hell of a typhoon." He giggled like a school boy as he remembered with a mischievous gleam in his eye. Sparrow rolled her eyes to peer at the dark, velvety sky above them shaking her head. The chuckled that escaped Reaver made her look towards him, which she was rewarded with a bawdy wink making her scoff in disgust. Reaver could not help but chuckle.

"Yes, as for you," Garth said twisting slightly on the spot he sat to fix the pirate with a suspecting gaze, "this shadow of yours."

"Hn, him," was Reaver's scornful reply as he sat up . Garth's eyes trailed to the shadow that mimicked the pirates actions, which promptly turned and waved to him. Garth waved back uncertainly and looked at Reaver who glanced at the mage with a 'Don't encourage him' look. Reaver then huffed sulkily, folding his arms as he remembered the conversation between him and his estranged reflection.

XxFlashbackxX

Reaver sat at the vanity table glaring heatedly at his reflection. They regarded each other with such polar opposite expressions that one would believe that it could be the two sides of Reaver, if the one inhabiting his reflection was not so... different.

"I am not hallucinating am I?" Reaver asked speculatively his eyebrow arching.

His reflection grinned. "No," was the simple answer, "you would be able to tell a hallucination from reality wouldn't you." The reflection tapped his temple suggestively.

"Are you going to sit there and remind me of my past misdemeanours or are you going to tell me what you want!" Reaver said in a calm, dangerous tone. The reflection smirked patting the scrupulously styled hair in fair mimicry of the pirates own narcissism.

"What I want you cannot give me," it replied suddenly looking thoughtful, "but you can help me."

"Why would I want to help you" Reaver scoffed the corners of his mouth twitched contemptuously.

"Well for starters," it said with a wide grin, "you help me and I will leave your body."

Reaver felt alarm course through him and leaned forward to glare at the reflection. "What! Are... are you possessing me!?"

The reflection laughed, the sound was hollow and left chills rippling over the pirates skin. "No, boy, I am merely hitching a ride," it replied calmly, "just for the time being."

The muscle in Reaver's cheek twitched when his reflection referred to him as boy and it continued as if sensing his apprehension.

"Do not worry, _boy_, I cannot take control over your body no more than you can get rid of me," the reflection chuckled, "this, however, is the first and last time I will be able to... talk with you."

Reaver watched as the reflection inspected Reaver's body admiring the well toned physique. This made Reaver smirk with unrepressed smugness. This made the reflection roll his eyes as he continued.

"So what I really want from you is well... the same thing as you really."

A whole list of things Reaver wanted ran through his mind at that moment his expression becoming glassy, sex was predominantly at the top. His reflection laughed again, but this time Reaver could not help but grin.

"Your not telling me everything though are you," Reaver then said.

"There are a lot of things you don't need to know," the reflection told him pointedly, "however this I will tell you. When the time comes you must trust me to guide you, you must also trust to let go and most of all shadows are made real if the hate is strong enough, to kill the shadow you must remove the hate."

"Well that's certainly cryptic," Reaver shrugged nonchalantly, "and why should I care?"

"Oh, believe me, when the time comes you _will _care," the reflection then looked highly amused as its eyes shifted to look at small stone on the dresser. "Oh and by the way you may want to keep the stone."

"Whys that?"

"Well..." the reflection grinned maliciously, "Garth made a bet with you last night."

Reaver's eyes went wide with interest. "Oh, what kind of bet?"

The reflection chuckled. "Something about Sparrow..." he said evasively causing Reaver to scowl, "and a very interesting word crept up, fornicate was it... a rather polite way of putting it."

Reaver's eyes widened at this and a slow smile curled his lips when suddenly his reflection shifted, and Reaver knew that he was now staring at his true self. He sighed and shook his head. This trip was getting weirder by the moment. Reaver had seen some strange things, but this was taking the proverbial biscuit. However, there was a few perks he thought as a cheeky smirk tugged his lips.

XxEnd FlashbackxX

When he finished his narration(keeping the bet to himself), Reaver shuddered, looking down at his shadow that morphed in the flickering of the fire. He felt no presence when he stared at it and even when it acted strangely there was nothing but simple shadow. He glanced up at the the four pairs of eyes that stared at him like he had suddenly grown two heads. Reaver scowled an eyebrow rising in annoyance.

"What! I don't know where he came from and neither do I care," he said with a wave of his hand, "He did not say and as to what he really wanted he didn't tell me that either."

"Sounds crazy," Corban commented and Reaver shot the dark skinned man a nasty glare, the responding smirk was just as nasty.

"Either way," Garth cut in smoothly, hopefully preventing an incident, "your shadow sounds suspicious to me."

"No need to tell me that."

"However, it helped us when we needed it," Garth looked to Sparrow who shrugged, they regarded Reaver for a moment who sat uncomfortably under their scrutinising glances. "well, et us sleep on it. I have yet to consult my books on various matters. I will just add hitchhiking spirits to the list."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I hope that chapter was all right. Call me self critical, but there is something about it that I am uncertain of. Either way please review this is the first and only fic of mine that has been this close to 50 reviews! Come on people give me some encouragement, the next one should be along soon...ish ^^; Hope you enjoyed and don'f forget to review!!! Remember... 50 .


	14. We're All Only Human

The next few days were spent travelling under the dense desert sun that beat down upon their backs like blazing whips. The air hung heavy about the party as Reaver's attitude towards Corban had grown particularly frosty for some unknown reason. One evening, whilst sitting under the moon lit sky Sparrow and Garth talked as Lorna repaired on of her rag dolls. The desert was quiet when Reaver crawled from his small make shift tent looking around with vain disinterest.

"Where's the river rat?" Reaver asked his tone unkind and Sparrow shot him a hard glare.

"_Corban _is taking a walk, as he said, in that direction" she replied waving vaguely, turning back to Garth who was flicking through a medium sized volume that was yellowing with age and evidence was clear that bookworms had got into it at one time or another.

Reaver's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He turned to peer into the darkness thoughtfully and Sparrow watched him out of the corner of her eye. The way he stood straight and held with pride Sparrow could almost imagine him standing at the prow of a ship shouting orders to a shabby crew. She quickly looked away when he began to slowly amble round the small fire in the direction she indicated.

"A walk indeed," he muttered clambering past a dozing Ginrul that snapped at him as he passed, annoyed that he had disturbed its nap. When he had disappeared into the darkness the two looked to each other then shrugged.

"Now, I wanted to show you this Sparrow," Garth whispered casting a quick glance towards Lorna who was absorbed in her repair work, her tiny pink tongue sticking out in concentration.

"What's that?" Sparrow asked as the mage flipped the page. Words written in the Samarkandian script surrounded a strange crest detailed in silver etched into the page. In the centre of a circle was creature unlike anything Sparrow had ever seen. Its torso and head was that of a form of mammal, most likely a cat, with cruel looking claws. The lower half was a fish tail curled about itself and from its back were a pair of partially unfurled wings. From the creatures head curled a pair of sheep horns. What its meaning was Sparrow did not know, but as she looked at Garth a strange feeling crept over her.

"Have you ever heard of the Animagi?" Garth asked as his finger swept under the words curled about the surface of the paper. Sparrow shook her head and Garth smiled knowingly.

"I didn't think so," he said looking up at the confused women, "they were said to have been a sect, a bit like the mage syndicate to which I belong here in Samarkand. However, when they came to this country some six or seven hundred years ago our people rejected them for... their strange practises. Though very little remains as evidence of their existence, as most of it was either burned deliberately or the mages buried it, some evidence remained. This tome was handed down through the generations of my family. It was written by a great grandfather who lived a few hundred years ago and it outlines some of his observations of what were called the Animagi when he passed beyond the eastern borders on what we call a 'Spirit Journey,' basically to find ones self by travelling." The wizard paused in his narrative to regard the small girl solemnly. "Though he describes seeing these people their numbers had since dwindled to a few hundred in his lifetime."

Sparrow looked mildly shocked and tilted her head questioningly. "Why was that?"

Garth shrugged. "It may have something to do with the witch hunts, the skirmishes between mages and Animagi that occurred. It never escalated to war like scale, as Samarkand Mages out numbered the Animagi nearly seven to one. It is sad numbers, but it was true. Then a hundred years ago the race was finally, and officially, declared extinct."

"Hang on, I thought you said it was a sect," Sparrow pointed out.

"I did," he gave her a sorrowful smile and her eyes widened in realisation. "You see, the Mages did not realise that the Animagi were a race like the Albionese or the Samarkandians and we wiped them out like a farmer would clear a field, devoid of life." His voice vibrated with regret and sadness.

Sparrow put a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. "Garth, you can't feel responsible for something that was not your fault."

"That as the case maybe," he replied dolefully, "Its not easy knowing that your race was responsible for the extinction of another."

Sparrow smiled and nodded though she was curious still. "So what did these Animagi do?"

"Ahh that's the great mystery," he said raising a finger in the air to emphasise his point, "Many sources recount the Animagi always having at least one animal with them. Their magic was very strong though they were weak against the more physical or elemental spells. Anything else about them, how their society was structured, what their family life was like, all that, was unknown. I often think that if the Syndicate had known maybe it would not of gone as far as it would have."

As Garth talked Sparrow stared down at the small girl who hummed to herself as her needle flickered in the warm light of the fire. She finally felt she understood something, but as she went to ask Garth something a great cry echoed through the darkness. Lorna was the first to see the two struggling figures making their way to the camp and she let out a scream dashing behind a Ginrul to protect herself. The little faery circled above chattering and shining a angry red.

The two bodies landed in the sand near the fire and rolled around as they struggled for dominance over the other. Reaver managed to knee his attacker in the gut and Corban flinched long enough for Reaver to grab his hair forcing him to the side. A furious and shocked Sparrow jumped to her feet just in time as Reaver was kicked to the floor. Garth sprung out the way much as Lorna had done using the Ginrul as a shield. The birds watched the squabbling pair with detached disinterest whilst the young white Ginrul squawked and flapped its wings trying to keep them away from the small girl that cowered behind its mother.

Reaver made to kick the dark skinned man in the gut, but Corban managed to catch the foot and flung the pirate back causing him to land heavily on his back. Reaver grunted when he hit the floor and as Corban pounced on him, he nimbly rolled to the side and onto his feet, crouching like a cat. Corban landed face down in the sand and Reaver pulled him up by the back of the shirt, balled his fist, then walloped Corban hard in the stomach. The Samarkandian coughed and sputtered as he was pulled up right. Reaver pulled back his fist and it collided with Corban's face sending him sailing backwards through the air, then landing in the sand with a heavy thud.

"Reaver, stop it!" Sparrow cried as she raced forward to intervene, but Reaver held up a warning hand.

"Don't get involved Sparrow!" he roared as Corban tackled him to the ground, his bright white teeth flashed in the glow of the fire as dark blood trickled down his nose. As they rolled kicking up sand, they dangerously neared the fire and Sparrow screamed. To her horror Corban kicked Reaver hard enough to send the fire flying landing square into the fire. With a yelp Reaver hurriedly rolled away from the blaze, rolling back back and forth in an attempt to quench the flames that had attached themselves to his attire. With a smug grin Corban raise a pistol from inside of his coat and aimed. Sparrow jumped in and grabbed Corban's hand forcing the weapon upwards so, as the pistol exploded, the bullet rocketed into the dark sky.

"What has gotten into you!?" Sparrow barked her lips curled back in feral anger as she locked gazes with Corban. She watched as the harshness faded from the amber orbs leaving them glowing like embers. Even as he tried to yank his arm free Sparrow held it firm with surprising strength as she glowered at him.

"Answer me... the pair of you!!" she demanded as she looked over her shoulder at Reaver who had managed to get to his feet. His clothes hung in tatters from his body though he appeared unscathed and glared back the muscles in his cheeks taunt.

Neither men spoke, but as the silence began to infuriate Sparrow more the creak of wood and jingling of bells on harnesses made them all look in to the frigid darkness. As she blinked Sparrow suddenly found her self staring at more Ginrul fowl their large eyes glittered in the light of the waning fire. Lorna blinked and trotted over to Reaver to hide amongst his singed clothing. One particularly large Ginrul slowly strode forward its large clawed feet stepping on the sand lightly. As Garth watched it near fire his eyes went wide as a white robed figure grinned down at him with pearly white teeth.

"Ho there boy!" a familiar voice said with a deep chuckle, "found that temple then did ya?" Garth nearly fainted on the spot as the old man laughed at the mage's shocked expression.

Reaver sat upon a pouffe as a dark skinned women inspected his shoulder where a fairly nasty burn made his skin feel very sore. He watched her as she applied a form of cream and as her large, dark eyes peered up to look into his Reaver gave her a charming smile. A dark flush was evident as she looked away with a tiny of a smile. Reaver grinned and looked about his environment curiously. It was a typical nomad tent. Sparse and devoid of much furnishings as most Samarkandian nomads prefer the use of cushions, pouffes, rugs and other such textiles, which were easy to roll up and pack when the time to move arose. Apart from the lack of solid 'anything' it was quite cheery with bright colours that had been tastefully put together so nothing clashed. Reaver nodded approvingly as the tent flap rustled and Lorna approached with a wide eyed look of mild shock as she coyly handed him a bag. Reaver grinned when he looked into the bag and gave the small girl a cheeky wink.

"Well done poppet," he congratulated and hand the small girl a little bag that rustled slightly as she clasped it eagerly. She immediately plonked her self next to him and dipped her small finger into the bag expectantly before pulling out a sweet rapped in coloured paper. She smiled and unwrapped it plopping it in her mouth, then sucked happily. She handed Reaver one who held up a hand to decline her offer.

"Very sweet of you dear but I am not a big fan of sweets," he said eyeing the maid as she finished up. The women curtsied and left through the tent flap, and through it she could be seen running through the sand like her life depended on it. Reaver chuckled.

"Well my dear, what now?" he said as he passed a clean tunic over his head.

"Well the old man Oota Dabun is talking to Garth in the big tent," she said in a helpful voice as her cheek looked puffed up with the sweet she was sucking.

"Hmm, no, I can't think why I would want to listen to some old bloke prattle on," he sighed and his eyes became a light as he looked into the bag, "I think I will go visit Sparrow, where is she?"

Lorna meekly toyed with her skirt as she looked around like a conspirator doing something very naughty. "She is hiding," she whispered.

"Hiding... from who?" he asked leaning forward curiously.

Lorna shrugged as her tunic bugled slightly. Reaver jumped and leaned away looking at the moving lump with disgust. The lump moved with jittery stops and starts as it made its way to the neck line of Lorna's thin blouse. The head of the faery appeared and tweeted inquisitively. Reaver sighed and shook his head passing a hand through his hair as he stood removing a few items from the bag.

"Alright Lorna, I will see you later and, er, if breakfast is nearly ready... don't wait up," he said leaving a confused little girl with her faery. Lorna watched him walk through the tent flap leaving her alone in the silent tent. She blinked once, then twice before jumping to her feet.

"I think I will take my chances with the old man," she muttered dashing towards the said tent.

Reaver walked between the colourful pavilions with children running to and from them in some childish game. In one hand was a wine skin and the other was two goblets, which he hoped he could share with Sparrow. Sure she would complain it was a bit early for that sort of thing, but he was never forced under the constraints of time. He searched from one pavilion to another peering curiously through tent flaps though it strictly was none of his business, but he could not help having a curious nature, he grinned. Just when it looked like Sparrow had disappeared of the face of the desert he rounded a tent sat on the edge of the encampment and there, underneath a poorly strung up shelter, was Sparrow laying on her back staring into nothing.

"Ah, there you are my dear," he said planting the goblets into the sand, "I thought you had done a runner on us." Sparrow looked at him from the corner of her eye regarding him stoically.

"It had crossed my mind," she replied fiddling with the ring that sat glittering on her finger.

Silence fell over them for a while till Reaver spoke again as he poured the skins contents into one of the goblets. "You know, I would have thought you would have been fawning over Corban."

Sparrow shot him a sharp glare but decided not to take the bait and sighed. "No, I... I dunno," was all she could manage. Reaver smiled inwardly to himself and held up the goblet.

"Wine?" Sparrow looked at it speculatively and Reaver blinked a little tipping to peer at its contents. "It is what's called Fireflower wine," he told her swishing its contents in circular movements, "Its very delicious but quite strong."

Sparrow's eyes narrowed suspicion shone plainly in her eyes making Reaver sigh. "Isn't it a bit early?"

He made a snort "My dear, I care little, when it comes to drinking, what time it is, because any time is good time for a drink." She snorted in amusement as he held the goblet to her, "now drink!"

She sat up, then slowly reached out and took the goblet sniffing it cautiously before taking a sip. The liquid filled her mouth in an explosion of flavour that made her gag. The fumes caught in her throat and she coughed more in surprise than at the strength of the drink.

"I thought you were kidding!" she accused and Reaver laughed taking a sip from his own. "Bastard!"

"And then some," he replied with a boyish grin as he leaned back to rest on his hand, "nice though isn't it, it has a very fruity flavour with a hint of pepper that kicks you in the tonsils as you swallow. They call it a wine but I liken it to more of a whisky or rum, though rum is smoother."

Sparrow could not help but laugh as she slowly sipped the drink fully prepared for that proverbial kick in the tonsils.

"I confess I never tried Whisky, but I do like rum," she said staring into her wooden cup. Reaver gave her an appraising look, which Sparrow replied with a confused frown. He raised an eyebrow looking surprised.

"I figured you for more of a wine person," he confessed and Sparrow chuckled shaking her head.

"Not really, wine tends to be a bit bitter for my tastes, but I prefer the likes of ale with the occasional drop of rum."

"Well, you learn something new everyday," Reaver said draining his goblet, he then looked a little more serious as he poured himself out more, "Out of curiosity, does Lorna really have a slave brand on her person?"

The question caused Sparrow to stiffen and she gulped slightly. She looked down at the sand as the image of Lorna's burnt, warped flesh crept into her mind and she could feel a hand touch her shoulder. She looked at Reaver with a demure smile and nodded.

"Her left shoulder," she replied in a small voice. Reaver's eyes widened at the thought and he squeezed her shoulder in gentle sympathy relishing the touch and the fact she had not yet whack him.

"That would explain some of her more... unusual habits," he nodded to himself, "Like the way she eats, like every last bite counts. How did you actually meet?"

He was genuinely curious and though Sparrow seemed reluctant to tell him she eventually gave him a loose version leaving out the part about her smashing her previous home to bits. She told him of the scar and possible theories on how the small girl escaped from the slave traders even filling him in on Garth's suspicions. All the while he listened to every waver of her voice sensing the strength it took for her to keep her emotions under control. As he peered out onto the hazy desert he made a realisation, not that he would admit it to himself. Sparrow then sighed knocking back the drink in her hand the harsh vapours caused her to cough and she held out the cup as an indication she wanted more. Reaver was certainly not going to argue as the orangey liquid swished inside her goblet.

"That leaves one other question, well many really, but I will settle for the one," Reaver said as he resealed the stopper and buried the skin in the shaded sand where it was cooler.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Who were her parents?" he asked curiously taking a large sip.

Sparrow nodded a sad smile playing on her lips. Reaver gave her an exasperated and slightly annoyed glance. He knew about her sacrifice, he was there after all, and what he saw he thought was a little sad, if not down right pathetic. Here was one of the strongest women in Albion reduced to a simpering pauper.

He sighed. "Look, having raised her these past five years I think entitles you to the title of mother," he told her in a forceful tone which made her look at him in surprise, "And I think you did a good job."

Sparrow made a wry chuckle shaking her head. "Yeah, I guess, but I wish she had brothers and father."

Reaver was really starting to feel annoyed now, not for the fact she was being so negative, but the fact that her inability to get over her past reminded him strongly of his own haunted past, this annoyed him beyond belief.

"Look here Sparrow," he turned to face her with a fierce scowl, she jumped and turned slightly to look at him properly as he raised a finger to shake in her face, "you made your choice, you have to live with that, all heroes know the risks when they take up that mantle, but just because they are gone does not mean you have to ruin a possible future. You will only end up being haunted for the rest of you life questioning your decisions, well my dear, there is more to life and I am sure your husband, or what ever, would prefer it if you lived your life instead of moping around feeling sorry for yourself. I'm sorry to be truly blunt with you (_well not really), _but this has to stop. It is not only making you suffer, but I have seen the way Lorna looks at you and she can feel it too. In other words, grow up Sparrow!"

When he finished he gloated at seeing Sparrow's shellshocked expression. It must be quite demeaning having a moral lecture from someone like Reaver. At least he had a chance of surviving if she decided she did not like what he said, but nothing happened, which surprised the pirate as she looked down into her cup. He tilted his head waiting for a response, but she remained quiet.

"Of course, I know what you would possibly say," he said then to break the awkward silence, "however..."

"Your right."

"Sorry?" Reaver could hardly believe the quiet words, did she just say that 'he was RIGHT'?

"Your right, I always thought if I tried to create a new life," she began with deliberately slow, shuddering words, "that if I... I did I would forget. Forget them. I thought that when I killed Lucien that was it, but then, that decision I just could not let all those people suffer for my selfish deeds. Damn it I made too many thus far."

She buried her face in her hand and Reaver leaned forward curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm selfish."

"Oh bollocks are you," Reaver snorted waving his hand dismissively, "of all the people I have met your the most disgustingly pure."

Sparrow let loose a hollow laugh. "If only that were so, when you tried to sacrifice me to the Shadow Court I got away with it by sacrificing another women using my revenge as justification for it."

"Hmm, I had wondered about that," Reaver mused, stroking his chin, "however, what are you getting at?"

"I walked a very thin line Reaver," she retorted hotly, "I am sorry to break your... your pre-conceptualised illusion of my purity, but the rumours of my morality are greatly exaggerated."

Reaver sat there for a moment the words sinking in slowly and then he burst out laughing. Sparrow shot him a seething glare the response was less than pleasing.

"Hah! It would seem we are not so different are we dear Sparrow," he smirked leaning a little closer causing the women to tilt back slightly, "That brings me a small measure of comfort."

"We are nothing a like," she retorted weakly not even sure of her own words. Seeing this Reaver pressed the issue.

"Aren't we?" he asked holding up his goblet as a silent toast, "only difference is I live with no regrets. True I still see the haunting faces in my dreams... the screams echoing in the dusty vaults, but I have lived long enough to know that I would only drive my self to the grave and wind up like well you, no offence." He downed the rest of his drink and regarded the sky solemnly.

Sparrow's cheek twitched as her eyes narrowed a small smile curling her lips. "Looks like you still have some humanity left in you Reaver," she said with a small chuckle.

"Hah! Its what got me up in this mess in the first place," he sighed and looked over at Sparrow her body was only inches away and he could feel, even in the heat of the desert, the warmth of her feminine body and it called to him. She regarded him with an expression that creased her brow, almost as if to say she was not quite sure whether to be amused or annoyed. He put down his goblet and then reached up to trace the corner of her lips with his thumb. She jilted gently her eyes widening just enough to give her a bewildered, doe like look and he liked it. Unable to hold back anymore he grasped her cheek gently in hand and pressed his lips to hers in a tender if not surprisingly soft kiss. He could feel Sparrow stiffen against his touch, resisting him, but he boldly continued and before he knew it she had relaxed. She even began to kiss back which excited him more, but as much as his body cried out to connect with her he knew he had to take it slow, or maybe she would want it all, but after their conversation he knew it best not too, so he contented himself with the luck he had at that moment and relished the taste of Sparrow. He then thought, _watch out Garth, I am half way there. _

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I am impressed with myself the next chapter so soon, am so proud, lawls. I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be alone soon. Also thanks to all those that have reviewed thus far I really appreciate it and cookies for all heheh. ^^


	15. A Night with the Nomads

Garth watched the old man inhale a bowl of steaming noodles. The sight was oddly fascination yet utterly revolting as the dark soup trickled through his silvery beard. He was glad that Lorna walked in that moment puffing slightly as if she had been running. Garth's eyes snapped to her as she sat down clutching a small bag, as if in fear they would be taken away from her, and sucked on something. She gave the mage a sheepish smile then returned to concentrating on sucking what was in her mouth. The faery crawled out of her blouse and settled on her shoulder glowing a dim green.

"Whaffss sisa numa?" the old man said through a mouthful of noodle.

Garth blinked and leaned forward slightly. "Pardon Oota?"

The old man rolled his eyes and swallowed loudly, smacking his lips in appreciation. "I said, Whaffs sisa numa?"

Lorna giggled as the old man gave her a wink. Garth sighed inwardly with frustration and crossed his arms with a small huff. The old man reached out and grabbed a handful of Garth's dark cheek, tugging it forcefully. Garth cried out in alarm and as the old man suddenly let go he blinked in surprise. The old man chuckled and turned to Lorna with a soft expression.

"What's the faery's name dear?" he asked gently and Lorna smiled in response.

"I named him Yi," she said, "It means 'light' in Samarkand, I thought it was a good name."

The old man nodded and mused to himself. "How do you know that 'Yi' is light in Samarkand?" he asked curiously, no hint of menace in his voice as he regarded the child.

Lorna blinked, her small face creased with bafflement and her mauve eyes suddenly went wide. Her mouth opened and then closed as she tried to think of a way to explain it. Eventually she resigned herself to a shrug and the old man smiled warmly.

Garth was about to ask the old man something when a scream shook the silence and shadowy something that radiated dark fury stalked past the tent flap. A moment later Reaver appeared through the flaps with an air of triumph despite the darkening black eye that was appearing on his face. He eased himself into a pouffe next to Lorna and stretched like a lazy cat sinking deep into the softness of the cushion. He crossed his legs and rested his head on his hands in a relaxed fashion with a sly smile on his lips.

"What did you do now?" Garth asked in an exasperated voice as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Sometimes he felt like he was surrounded by children Lorna's presence excluded; he sighed thoughtfully.

"_I _did nothing," Reaver replied flippantly, "_she_ needs to loosen up."

The old man chuckled. "You didn't try to grope her in any fashion?"

A huge grin appeared upon Reaver's face that threatened to split it in half. "Put it this way," he said in a slow voice, "She has rather resplendent pair of fun bags."

Lorna blinked as her jaws crunched down on the remainder of the sweet and stared at Reaver thoughtfully as Garth choked. The old man burst out laughing and clapped his hand over his knee creating a loud smack as he rocked back and forth on his pouffe.

"I like you!" he managed to exclaim through his laughter, "boy, that was brilliantly said, I must remember that, 'sigh', fun bags indeed."

He continued to chuckle despite the daggers flying at him as Garth regarded the old man stoically even as his fingers tapped the tops of his knees. Reaver on the other hand looked genuinely surprised as he grinned with a mixture of amusement and uncertainty. Lorna continued to stare at Reaver in a confused fashion as she popped another sweet in her mouth.

"What does resplendent mean?" she asked curiously tilting her head in emphasis.

Reaver looked down and smiled. "Its just another word to describe an object other, similar words could be like lustrous, splendid, splendiferous, splendorous, sublime, superb, get the drift?"

Lorna frowned in puzzlement, but nodded anyway. "I think so... so your saying superb pair of fun bags... why does she have a new toy?"

Laughter echoed round the tent leaving the little girl to pout in her confusion. Just as Reaver opened his mouth to explain a pouffe collided with his face knocking him off his own. Garth coughed slightly and smiled gently down at Lorna.

"Your a bit young to go into those kind of things little one..."

"Oh, he means boobs!" she exclaimed looking from Garth to Reaver, "Sparrow always said you had low interests when it comes to women, but I always thought she meant lower."

Another wave of laughter resonated round the tent as the old man, Oota and Reaver rolled in their own mirth. Lorna smiled shyly as she cradled her bag of sweets. The Faery on her shoulder jumped, startled by the noise and took a keen interest in the bag of sweets trying to look into the bag as it sniffed curiously.

"Would look like its too late for that Garth," Reaver grinned and looked down at Lorna, "Well, well, I assume Sparrow told you."

Lorna nodded and the two heroes looked mildly shocked.

"But your only what... seven... eight," Garth protested. Lorna's face went blank and her eyes narrowed almost sarcastically.

"I'm not Eight, I am this much," she held up her hands with all fingers and thumb extended so it counted as ten.

Garth blinked and he turned his head to look at Reaver who managed to crawl back on his cushion again. A cheeky smirk played on the pirates lips as they regarded each other. The old man covered his hand to hide the smile as his eyes danced with laughter.

"Was it me or was that sarcasm coming from a ten year old?" Garth asked the shock plain on his face.

"I think that was," Reaver said patting the girl on the head affectionately, "She's coming along nicely." Lorna giggled then grinned as more laughter filled the tent at her expense.

Reaver leaned over slight with a curious expression. "How did Sparrow tell you about sex?" he asked, "She always struck me as the shy type when coming to that sort of thing."

Lorna gave him an 'are you stupid' look. "Well she told me that to make babies you need a man and a women to physically connect. They don't usually do this unless they love each other very much."

"I wouldn't say that's always an incentive to have sex," Reaver said with a indifferent sniff.

"Yes, I did ask her about that," Lorna said as she frowned slightly, "she said that... people like you just 'do it' to gain pleasure, but for someone to use another like that is demeaning when something so intimate is used so cheaply."

Reaver looked down at Lorna with a sombre expression. "Ah I see," is all he said and he leaned back to regard the ceiling blankly. Confused, Lorna looked to the other two men who watched knowingly, but said nothing.

Later that evening Lorna watched as people danced about a fire. The sky had long since darkened leaving it speckled with glowing, silvery stars. The large fire illuminated the faces of many of the nomads who ate and drank fitfully as children played a strange game nearby. Lorna watched the children speculatively and yet her gaze held a sense of longing. A hand on her shoulder made her look into Sparrow's caring face that held a sad smile.

"You can go play too if you want," Sparrow said encouragingly. Lorna shook her head and smiled back.

"No, its okay, I will go to sleep, I'm tired," with that the small girl stood and walked away when leaving a Sparrow to watch worriedly. Corban seated himself next to the hero handing her a goblet. He followed her line of sight to the girl that just disappeared behind a tent. HE turned back to Sparrow and looked down at her with a smile.

"Is she ok?" the man asked and Sparrow pursed her lips thoughtfully. She would hazard a guess at a few reasons.

"Hmm, she will be," the women replied turning back to the fire and taking the goblet that Corban had handed to her. She sniffed the cup and a familiar fragrance rose to greet her. She smiled gently as she recognised it.

"Ah, Fireflower wine," she murmured more to her self. Corban looked surprised.

"You know of it?" he asked curiously leaning forward a little.

Sparrow hesitated a moment the memory of Reaver raced through her mind the feel of his hands running over her skin, but then the thought of him groping her breast sent a heated flush over her cheeks. She was not sure whether or not it was a good thing or if she was being angry for the sake of being angry. She let out an irritated sigh and nodded to Corban's question.

"Yeah, the previous town I tried some," she lied glibly smiling at the man. He shrugged and looked to the fire where many danced in time to music that surrounded them. His gazed shifted towards where a band of men beat upon drums and struck cords upon various string instruments some larger than others. It was then he noticed a familiar figure surrounded by young women. It always seemed to Corban that the pirate always had either a glass in his hand, his gun or a women. A fierce hatred for the man rose from his gut threatening to make him throw up in his disgust. He had never met such a pretentious and conceited individual. He grunted sourly and looked down to see Sparrow was also staring at Reaver. Her eyes were narrowed and he could see the muscles in her jaw ripple. She turned her head away and stared into the sand by her feet. He did not have to be an expert to know what that gaze meant and his anger only grew because of it.

He coughed a little and shifted uncomfortably as a silence fell between them. It felt like an invisible cage separating them both from the rest of the camp and as he watched the flames dance over Sparrow's pale skin he had the sudden urge to run his fingers over the smooth flesh. He mentally shook himself and held up his drink towards her.

"A toast," he said in a cheerful voice, "To present friends and good fortune for the future."

She tilted her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her eyes, an amused smile curling the edges of her lips.

"To present friends, good fortune for the future and..." she hesitated her expression thoughtful, "the strength to do what's right."

She smiled and knocked her glass against his a dull clink before taking a sip. Corban sighed at her words and he nibbled his lip nervously.

"Why were you and Reaver fighting last night?" she suddenly asked looking at his nervous face, which soon became blank as he blinked at her.

"I'm not sure," he said with a frown, "I was praying when he jumped me." He shrugged and regarded the figure of Reaver with a dark scowl. "It was quite unprovoked."

Sparrow made a small noise of wonder and looked into the fire. "If you say so," she eventually said in a uninterested tone yet in her belly an uneasy feeling settled as she knew Reaver only something if there was a reason. Usually it was for his own gain, but if it also meant doing something for his own survival, much like an animal. That was an interesting thought, but then as her thoughts drifted she made a profound realisation that even the likes of her was like an animal and this thought she did not relish.

Lorna lay on the bunk staring at the canvas ceiling of her tent. Yi, the faery was curled up by her ear and it breathed gently in her ear. As she stared her body starved for sleep, but this nagging feeling in her mind refused to let her sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she see the children playing but then they would morph to look mangled and disfigured in her mind. A wave of tears threatened as her throat clenched violently. She swallowed trying steel herself against it as she turned on her side and buried her face in the cover. She heard the tent flap rustle and she bolted upright in bed. She sighed with relief when the old man stood in entrance with a big grin.

"I have gososhi!" he announced in a cheery voice and Lorna blinked at him.

"What's gosohi?" she asked as he held up a wooden bowl. The torches blazed to life at the touch of the old man's will and the sudden brightening of the tent stung her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and blinked up at him as he sat on a stool next to her bunk.

"It is a sweet pie made from Goshi fruit," he explained, "its about yay big, looks like a hedgehog and smells awful, _but _it tastes grreat."

He growled the 'r's making him sound like a cat and Lorna giggled at his joke. He grinned holding up the bowl that had the pie and the filling looked pinkish. Lorna sniffed at it curiously and peered up at the old man with large appealing eyes. He chuckled and handed her a spoon with the bowl. She took the spoon and dug it into the pie taking off a sizeable piece. She looked at it and then held it to Oota Dabun who peered down at it with mild surprise. He smiled and shook his head in silent decline. He gave her a wink and she began to eat slowly.

Oota Dabun watched her for a time as the pie began to disappear rapidly and when she finished he took the bowl and spoon, made a strange dismissive gesture, and the bowl disappeared. Lorna watched in amazement and stared at the old man questioningly, but he replied with a mysterious smile.

"Now my dear," he said regarding her seriously, "what to do with you."

Lorna tilted her head inquisitively as he mused to him self the deep wrinkles of his forehead lying in small folds as he thought. His frown lightened as he looked down at her seeing her quizzical expression. He held out his gnarled, bony hand to her, which she took without question. They stared at each other as moments ticked by and her eyes widened.

"Oota..." she began, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Child, in the days ahead I will be with you," he began, "One of your fellow adventurers has something that belongs to me." He frowned deeply as he looked away to stare at the canvas wall his eyes glazing as if seeing some far off, invisible object.

"Oota, if that is what you are... then... what am I?" she asked her eyes becoming shiny with unshed tears. As if sensing her pain the faery awoke and jumped to its spindly feet beating its wings so it glowed a concerned blue.

The old man smiled as he looked down at her and patted her head comfortingly. "You are not so dissimilar to me," he said and Lorna's face brightened.

"Then... can you teach me?" Lorna asked staring at him with wide expectant eyes. Oota sat back with start and returned the stare with a surprised gaze. He seemed to think about this and Lorna's demeanour became anxious. He looked down with a sigh as he mulled over the pros and cons in his mind, but Lorna seemed insistent.

"Please, Oota, If you taught me then... then..." she paused as she tried to find the right words to say and then she smiled brightly, "it would help me understand myself better and … and maybe give me a chance to become useful to Sparrow!"

The thought cheered her greatly. Images of her and Sparrow in combat against creatures and travelling on quests filled her young mind. Excitement bubbled in her chest and she clasped her hands tightly in fear she may burst apart from it. The old man regarded her gravely his eyes narrowed as he pursed his lips.

"All right," he finally said after what seemed an eternity, "Only if you promise to say nothing to the others of this until they are ready to comprehend such a thing."

Lorna looked startled. "Why?"

"They are just not ready," he affirmed. Reluctantly she nodded but then a cheeky smile curled her lips and she giggled.

"Thank you Oota," she said with genuine gratefulness and she smiled. Oota returned the smile and nodded.

"Don't worry about it child," he told her, "just remember don't be afraid to call for me, okay."

She nodded. "Yes sir... um, can we start now?" She asked hopefully.

The old man laughed heartily and shook his head. "Your keen aren't you," he said with a smile, "no not now, its a bit late and Sparrow might come back soon."

Lorna looked disappointed and reluctantly returned to laying on the bed. The faery twittered in a confused fashion as it nuzzled her face. He tucked the blanket under her chin and stood to leave. As he reached the tent flap he turned back to see that she had already fallen asleep. He smiled warmly as the torches extinguished themselves with a poof. He stepped out into the freezing cold of the desert night and closed the tent flap. He stared up at the stars his expression growing sober as he took a deep breath and sighed. His attention was drawn to something that fluttered over a pavilion and he scowled darkly when a crow looked down at him. It let out a benevolent caw as if defying him. With an angry growl the old man shouted and threw fireballs at it. With a shriek it took flight nimbly avoiding the fiery rain that was dealt upon it and disappeared into the night leaving the old man to fume. He walked off muttering darkly to himself.

"I hate crows," he muttered as he slipped past the tents towards the bonfire.

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This was a bit shorter than I thought it would be but, meh. I thought I better get this done now as I have a lot of uni work to catch up on, so the next might not be for a while.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed it and leave a review if you have any comments. X3


	16. The Forest of Bumpy Cones

The travel south bored the hell out of Sparrow. The desert was lifeless and dull, and everywhere she looked was sand, sand and more sand. She was sick of sand. It got into every nook and cranny imaginable. She needed a bath desperately to alleviate the insistent itching in the parts of her body that creased, like in the back of her knees and between her thigh and belly. Every time she went to bed she had to sit there and carefully use what little water they had to wipe as much of the sand from her nooks and crannies. She even started getting sand in the crack of her arse, as well as other places; not that she would admit that to anyone. She peered back at the caravan of nomads that trundled sedately behind them in a long train of wagons pulled by the Ginrul; she sniffed indifferently.

She sat on her Ginrul and her behind ached with the constant sitting in one place. Not to mention her back from the constant slouching; it just took to much effort to sit straight all the time. Though she remained quiet a lot of the time, being known as women of few words, she often took some time to mentally complain to herself. She often felt better after wards, but in the unbearable heat of the desert it was of no comfort. She sighed heavily and eased her buttocks into a better position making the Ginrul grunt.

"Oh shut up," she snapped, "I'm the one that has to sit on you... I think I would have preferred to run."

Running, now there was a pleasure she missed since the incident at the Tattered Spire. She often had enjoyed the long distance runs she had to make with Gwayne, her dog, by her side. The feel of her muscles working as she took each stride, the air filling and leaving her lungs, and most of all the feel of the wind in her hair as she sprinted. She could run to any place in Albion with the ease of a canine and Gwayne was possibly the only thing in Albion that could keep pace with her. The exception being the creature she rode but she was not counting Samarkand. She conceded she missed those days. Running had always been a relaxing activity especially if she was angry. Being able to beat her anger out with each stride had been the best feeling in the world, pushing herself further and further beyond her limits. She sighed wistfully as she kneaded her thigh. Even though she had been proud of her physique time had softened her muscles giving the illusion of femininity even though she had always been, and may always will be, more of a tomboy. Well you had to in her line of work. She would love to see a 'lady' do what she had to.

She sighed again and chuckled dryly to herself at the thought of seeing many of the noble ladies from Bowerstone trying to lift a sword let alone swing it. She felt a presence approach her and her head turned slightly to see Reaver peer at her curiously an amused smirk curling his lips. She was glad she was wearing her full head scarf she was given by the nomads so he could not see the flush that crept into her cheeks.

"Everything all right Sparrow?" he asked airily.

She sighed again and snorted. "Fine, fine," she waved her gloved hand dismissively, "I was... just thinking that's all."

"Oh," the curiosity plain in the pirates voice, "About what?"

Sparrow could not help but laugh at him. He scowled in annoyance and huffed sulkily.

"Not about you if that's what you think," she commented casually and she laughed when he pouted. "No... I was thinking about how much I had enjoyed running that's all."

Reaver snorted derisively. "Running? Why would you do that when there a more effective modes of transport like ships or carriages."

"Ships are fine if your crossing huge bodies of water," Sparrow smiled, "and carriages I hate because they bounce too much on rough ground and it makes me feel sick. I always found the fastest way to get from point A to point B was by using my feet."

Reaver considered this and shrugged. "Well either way I prefer a way to get from 'Point A' and 'Point B' with as minimal effort to me."

Sparrow's smile widened to a grin. Somehow she knew he was going to say that.

"I'd like to see you run a cross country race," she smirked, "You would find some way to cheat."

"Naturally," he admitted with no hint of remorse, "No point in doing something to win if you can't cheat."

"I bet your good at keystone then," the hero said with a small laugh. Reaver turned to regard her with a frown as he thought about it.

"Hmm, well yes, but I gave up playing that years ago."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"It ceased to be very challenging," he admitted with a shrug.

Sparrow burst out laughing which made Reaver scowl angrily. "What are you laughing at!?"

"You," she said pointedly, "if you cheat on things it would cease to be 'challenging'."

Reaver sighed as she continued to laugh. Their Ginrul trotted on regardless and behind them a pair of curious mauve eyes watched, twinkling in amusement. Lorna turned her head to the mage that rode beside her and the old man. She was currently nestled on the throat of Oota's Ginrul whose feathers were greying with age and the beasts reigns in her hands. She regarded the mage who was watching the spectacle with a smile and he looked down at Lorna with a wink. She giggled and drew her cloak closer to her self to ward off the intense sun.

On the other side of the old man's Ginrul rode Corban was was staring at the sandy ground his face hidden beneath the scarf wrapped about his face, head and neck. The old man turned his head slightly to watch him and with a grin he turned to the mage.

"I know for a fact that no rain falls in the desert," he said in a mild tone, "But do you get the feeling that there is a heavy rain cloud hanging over us?"

Garth chuckled as his eyes trailed to the slumped lump. Though he would admit the air about Corban's person felt heavier as if he was radiating depressive waves, he would not of called it a rain cloud. He gave Oota Dabun an awkward smile and turned to look else where. Then a thought occurred to him. This old man was old, so, he wondered, would he know more about the Animagi? He turned back to look at the old man thoughtfully as he joked with Lorna making the little girl giggle.

"Oota?" The old man looked up curiously fixing Garth with a intense stare that made the mage's innards squirm.

"Would you, by any chance, know anything about the Animagi?"

"Apart from they're extinct?" the old man replied pointedly.

Garth smiled wanly. "Yes, I know that but I mean anything else apart from they're extinct."

The old man chuckled and sat back on his seat as he thought about it. His gnarled fingers where curled round his chin as if they were made to fit that part of his face. The old man's dark eyes grew distant as if deliberating or was it calculating. Either way he seemed to be digging deep as it took a while for the old man to respond.

"Well, do you know about the thing with animals?" he finally asked his head tilted slightly to look at Garth.

"Well, I know that they always seemed to have animals around where ever they went," Garth replied.

"Hmm, well there is a reason for that," Oota said as his face became solemn, a hand rested on Lorna's head who was having to much fun directing the large Ginrul to even take any notice of the adults conversation. "I was born just towards the end of the war with the Animagi, just before they were considered extinct as a race. They were a tenacious people and fought with the last of their strength. I suppose you could say that was being stubborn however, if it were not for our numbers they would of won the war by sheer power."

Garth's eyes widened. "What do you mean 'sheer power'? They were few yes, but their power was no more than ours."

"Is that what you think," the old man chuckled and scanned the horizon with his eyes, "You see, they were closer to nature than we could ever hope to be. They respected the land, cared for it, loved it like a mother, and in return the beasts and the earth itself gave them power, protection and most of all companionship."

"What do you mean?" Garth asked breathlessly.

Suddenly the old mans face grew sorrowful and as he spoke, it was slow and deliberate. "At the age when an animagi child becomes an adult they perform a right of passage. Needless to say the result is the joining between man and beast. A bond that could not be broken, even in death." Garth's eyes widened, if possible, even wider as the old man continued. "The beast and Magi shared power, and together they were potentially stronger than you or I, but kill the beast and the Magi was almost defenceless. It was by this means that we won the war, by killing their beloved animals that we were able to pick them off one by one." The old man sighed regretfully and the tendrils of guilt crept into Garth's chest squeezing him from the inside. "Though this was the case, it was still dangerous to take on an Animagi in their grief, because they had the ability to call up a multitude of animals and if the Magi was especially strong and talented, they could cause the trees to fight for them as well. I have only ever witnessed the terrifying power of an enraged Animagi once and believe me, I was petrified and would not leave my house for a month."

"Was it really that terrible a power?" Garth asked a frown creasing his brow.

"Oh yes, if you saw it then you would know," the old man said firmly, "we were afraid of this bond with nature and perhaps more jealous than we realised."

Garth's eyes trailed to the reigns he had been gripping progressively tighter in his grasp as the old man spoke, any tighter and they may of cut into his hands. The guilt in his stomach intensified and he began to wish he had never asked. The very thought his great race were reduced to envious adolescent children afraid of something strange so that they had to destroy it. He sighed, his voice wavering as he exhaled. Oota Dabun smiled grimly and patted the man sympathetically on the shoulder.

"Believe me, I feel it as much as you," the old man said, "Probably more so."

Garth looked up curiously as the old man sighed and straightened in his saddle.

"Though that was a long time ago and hopefully we, as a race, have learnt our lessons," Oota stated, "it is all we can do in this case as no matter what we do we cannot resurrect a dead race, unless..."

The old man's eyes widened as if something had just occurred to him. Garth felt a simpering pang of hope as he leaned over slightly to stare at the old man.

"Unless...?"

The old man snapped out of his reverie and he gave the mage a puerile smile. "What?"

"Well, unless what?"

"Unless what?" the old man repeated blinking simply. Garth let loose an exasperated sigh as he ground his teeth in annoyance.

"Never mind," he ground out and the old man smiled cheekily.

"Oh-kay!" he chimed turning back to Lorna who handed the old man back the reigns.

As the sun reached its highest peak in the sky the sand was slowly beginning to change colour from yellow and into a pale grey. As they stopped atop of a dune the party came to a halt as the caravan behind them progressed onwards regardless. As Sparrow sat up on her Ginrul the old man, with Lorna, pulled in beside her staring down at the expanse before them. The desert ceased at the base of the dune and from underneath it strange grey spikes rose from dried and cracked earth. The craggy pinnacles seemed to tower over the caravans, but yet there was nothing menacing about them. They just seemed content to sit and point towards the sky longing to touch it.

"What is it?" She asked her voice filled with awe as the spiky terrain disappeared over the horizon.

"Well," the old man began, "Its called...mhmm... lets see, how would it translate...hmm nn no thats not right, mmm oh yes, 'The Forest of Bumpy Cones."

"'Forest of Bumpy Cones'?" Reaver scoffed in a incredulous tone, "that's a bizarre name."

"Yes well, the ones who named it some few millennia ago were off their heads on the particular type of salt in this area," the old man replied with a shrug and Reaver laughed, "This whole plain is essentially made of mineral salt."

"Really?" Sparrow's asked breathlessly, "This whole place? How is that possible?"

"Well, this whole area used to be a vast inland ocean," the old man said sweeping his arm to indicate the whole area, "it soon dried out after the area became hotter, but this ocean is the reason why this desert exists."

"Wow," she breathed in amazement.

"Hang about," Reaver interrupted his face creased with thought, "did you say the persons before mentioned were 'off their heads' on this salt?" He jerked his thumb towards the plain and the old man stared at him his eyes twinkling.

"Yes, the salt has narcotic properties."

Reaver's eyes brightened at the thought and he grinned playfully. "Really? What kind of effects does it have?"

Sparrow stared at him horrified he may even consider such a thing. He replied with a shrug though his eyes remained curious and some what longing. The old man rolled his eyes and resigned himself to shaking his head.

"Well, have you tried the particular herb a lot of Samarkandian's are fond of?" The pirate nodded, "Ok then if you licked one of those spikes you would be blazing for, oh, seven hours or so..."

Reaver's eyes widened at the thought and Sparrow turned to him with a frown.

"What does 'blazing' mean?" she asked.

"Its a state where your whole body feels completely relaxed, sometimes you would have giggle fits and the need to eat, but mostly you would be 'spacing', not totally with it and so on," he replied calmly.

"Ah ah, I'm not finished," the old man stated wagging his finger as if telling off a child, "If you ate a handful of salt you most likely would hallucinate and that can last roughly the same time depending on how much you ate, the more you eat the more intense the visions become, but if you were to dissolve the salt in water and boil it, that is when the substance is most dangerous because for some reason the steam intensifies all the effects. The visions become more violent no matter what your state of mind or how much you inhale prolonged exposure can result in violent seizures and ultimately death."

Reaver seemed to consider this seemingly undeterred by the thought of death as his finger tapped his chin in thought.

"Don't you dare," Sparrow hissed.

"What?"

"I know that face, your contemplating on trying it aren't you!"

"Well, the licking or eating sounds good but I don't think I would go as far as dying in steam, that is such an unimaginative way to die," he snorted, "what if it is drunk when dissolved in water?"

"Reaver!"

"What? It was a legitimate question."

Sparrow despite her self growled heatedly though Reaver ignored her and looked intently at the old man. "Well?"

"If you drank it you would more or less make you mightily sick," Oota said with a chuckle, "It would be almost be like drinking alcohol, except there is a risk of hallucinating as well."

"So basically it is a hallucinogen as well as a narcotic?"

"Simply put yes."

Reaver hummed thoughtfully to himself whilst Sparrow looked ready to hit him. Reaver sighed and looked over to Sparrow with a raised eyebrow. They stared at each other for a moment until Sparrow huffed and turned away.

"Fine," she snapped, "but I'm not going to be the one to deal with you afterwards."

"Fine with me," Reaver replied with an indifferent shrug and she glared at him.

"What do you mean fine with you!" she nearly screeched, "what if you go too far and something happens!"

Reaver sighed wearily and regarded her with a mild expression. "My dear I have many years of experience with such things."

"And!"

"And' I am more than capable of handling myself," he stated firmly noting that the old man had began to inch away as Lorna's face split into a huge grin.

"Is that so," she replied loftily, "In that case don't come crying to me when it goes wrong."

Reaver stiffened in his saddle as she also pulled away and followed the other three down the dune and onto the salt plain. He glared down at her as his teeth ground against each other.

"For your information _young _lady I do not cry! And if I did I would most certainly not go crying to you," He shouted down to her. She ignored him in part as she flipped him off over her shoulder. He growled. "Besides you are as sensitive and as sympathetic as a crazed hobbe with a mallet!"

She continued to ignore him and he huffed, slouching into his saddle with a pout. He glared down at Sparrow's back his eyes glittering. He nudged the heels of his boots into the Ginrul's shoulders and it trotted down the dune to catch up with the others. As soon as he reached the bottom, and the others followed the nomad train, he reached into one of his packs and withdrew a pouch. He stopped his Ginrul by one of the vast pinnacles and worked on the surface grinning when it just simply crumbled under his touch. Whilst humming one of his favourite sea shanties he grabbed a few handfuls and hid the pouch in his bag. With a few quick nudges he soon caught up with the others just as the nomad train began to curve into a westerly direction.

When he got to where the others stopped he found Oota speaking with one of his brethren. After a moments talk the gentlemen left to jump into a caravan, which trundled off just as soon as he jumped on. Oota turned to them with a bright grin as he rubbed his hands together.

"Looks like I will be joining you," he said cheerily and Reaver could swear he heard Garth groan under his breath. Reaver chuckled and bowed in his seat.

"It will be a pleasure to have you with us," he said grandiosely and the old man beamed.

"All right then shall we continue south?" Oota cried encouragingly and nudged his Ginrul forward pumping his fist into the air with the excitement of a child. Lorna giggled and copied. The site made the pirate chuckle as he followed pulling in beside the old man who had a silly smile on his face. Oota then looked over at the pirate his lips pulling back in a grin.

"I take it you grabbed a handful?" Oota whispered leaning over slightly. Reaver cast the old man a sheepish smile and he looked over his shoulder to Sparrow who was busy talking to Garth. He turned back to Oota and nodded. The old man's face brightened and he chuckled. "Wonderful, my place?"

Reaver looked mildly shocked but it was soon replaced with a huge grin. "Would be an honour."

The old man laughed and looked over his shoulder at the hero and mage. He gave the pirate a wink and both faced forward with an air of 'I-know-something-you-don't' about them. Lorna gave the old man a puzzled look and he patted her on the head pressing a finger to his lips followed by a wink. Lorna smiled awkwardly and shrugged turning back to the doll she had started making. _Adults are weird, _she thought as her fingers flew back and forth in a fluid motion.

After the nomad train parted ways to travel westward towards the grassier plains they continued south towards even more rainforest though Sparrow was not to know that. As the sun began its descending arch towards the jagged horizon they stopped for a break their Ginrul taking up their customary positions in a circle to protect their riders from any wind that may kick up sand. Sparrow sat leaning against her mount with a hand clasped about a water skin taking long draughts from it. The old man had taken to whispering in a very suspicious manner with Reaver and seeing that smirk on the pirates lips always made her suspicious. When he felt her eyes upon him, he looked up and gave her a cheeky wink before turning back to Oota Dabun.

Sparrow huffed her cheeks puffing out in annoyance. She looked looked at Lorna who was busy sewing away despite the heat that caused Sparrow to feel so drowsy. She peered over curiously and noted it looked a little familiar. Sparrow smiled wrapping a friendly arm about the girls shoulder. Out of habit the little girl nuzzled closer.

"So, is this one Garth?" Sparrow asked and the girl nodded wordlessly. Sparrow sighed. The small girl always seemed to go really quiet when concentrating on her work and hero always knew that it would be of excellent quality. Where she had learned to create dolls so expertly was beyond her. It made her wonder what exactly the small girl experienced in the slave camp. Either way she would never know and Lorna seemed reluctant to give up her secrets so the hero had to wait, years if need be.

Suddenly the small girl stiffened and her head tilted upwards. She squeaked and clasped her arms about the woman's waist seeking comfort.

"Sparrow!" At the sound of her name her head jerked up and the others had rushed to their feet save for the old man who sat calmly as a finger worked his inner ear. Sparrow tightened arms grip about the small girl as her other hand snaked about the handle of her pistol. Her eyes narrowed as she spied the large Ginrul that surrounded them. Upon their backs were soldiers clad in black armour whose silver studs glinted blindingly in the intense light. They had clasped in their gauntlet covered hands cruel looking lances that towered above them.

-Who are you?- Garth demanded in his native tongue, but the soldiers refused to reply. They seemed frozen, transfixed to their saddles until the circle parted and a grand looking fowl with reigns highly decorated with jewels, feathers and other precious stones stepped forward. Upon its saddle sat a portly man dressed in a long purple silk robe that seemed stretched about his vast stomach. His fingers were dripping in a multitude of jewels, his neck hidden by golden necklaces and his ear lobes were stretched by the heavy hoops, but his head was naked of anything even hair. Sparrows eyes slid to him a dangerous glint sparkled as she drew her pistol from its holster.

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I hope this chapter was ok its a bit later than expected, but never mind at least its up. Again leave comments and reviews with any critism and so on, I always like to hear from my readers. And thanks to Night Writer Z for that brilliant review X3 and to Fae... bless ya three times in a row heheh also yes he is a bit of card but what can ya do lol, and Of Bleeding Dreams, yes, I thought it would be funny if he did XD for some reason I could imagine him that way lol. The next chapter will up soon enough X3


	17. Welcome to the City of False Perfection

A tense cloud descended upon the group as the heroes stared up at the strange warriors glad in black. Sparrow's eyes held the portly mans visage tightly as a flinty light flashed dangerously in her eyes. He, however, ignored her with a grim almost bored expression. He looked down upon the small group his heavy jewellery jingling as he did so. Garth's eyes slid to the many rings littering the mans pudgy fingers and noted that one looked vastly different to the others. His eyes widened and he looked back up to see the mans face suddenly crack into a wide grin.

"AH! We have found you-ah?" the man said, his voice a strange throbbing contralto as he clapped his hands in delight. Sparrow nearly fell backwards in surprise and may well have if Lorna did not clutch her so tightly. The fearful atmosphere was suddenly broken by the man's high pitch voice giggling. Sparrow stared at him incredulously and she could sense similar feelings from the others. Garth made a small cough and bowed at the waist.

"Your excellency, to whom do we owe the pleasure?" he asked and the portly man smiled down at the mage his dark eyes twinkling.

"I am an envoy, Porsta, chamberlain to the grand Chief Mozai!!" he announced proudly his thick arms sweeping up to point at the sky, "He requests your presence at the Autumn Festival Ball in two days time."

The confused looks that swept round the group were profound. Sparrow looked over her shoulder and jumped slightly to see Reaver was a lot closer than she had noticed. He must of crept up on her, she thought and sighed.

"Autumn?" she whispered to the pirate, "It was early summer when I left Westcliffe."

A smile tugged at Reaver's lips. "My dear, we have been on the move for quite a while now, not only that the seasons are a little out of sync a bit further south of the equator," his voice vibrated in her ears and she shook her head to rid it of the tingling. She needed to concentrate she told herself. Her eyes then trailed to Garth who was conversing with the envoy.

"Ok, then who is this Grand Chief Morzai?"

Reaver rubbed his chin thoughtfully his green eyes regarding the sands at their feet. He shook his head in defeat when the name failed to inspire any memory. He finally shrugged when they were encouraged to mount their Ginrul, but as Sparrow stood she looked to Garth who approached Lorna, the pirate and her. He sighed, a frown creasing his will lined face, as he stopped beside her.

"I asked how this Morzai knew where we are, but he was very evasive on the subject."

"so, you have no idea who Morzai is then?" she asked planting a fist into her hip.

Garth shook his head with a sad smile. "I have never really been to this part of Samarkand. I tend to skirt around the borders of this part of the desert," he replied looking over his shoulder, "though I see no reason for us to indulge just once, you know, a little luxury."

Reaver smirked as Garth nimbly jumped to the Ginrul's saddle. "I like your thinking Garth," his green eyes twinkling as he too jumped to his own saddle leaving Sparrow and Lorna standing on the burning sand.

"But how long is it going to take us to get there?" Sparrow asked a hint of panic and frustration leaking into her tone. She really hoped this would not divert much from their journey. She really hated it when she had to make detours. Her thoughts instantly rested on Reaver on that score as she mentally cursed his name.

"I share your concern Sparrow, however, the envoy..." Garth's eyes momentarily flickered to the smiling individual, "assures me that we are only a few hours away and will be there by night fall."

A small growl emanated from the woman's throat. "I hate balls," she stated in an indolent tone. From behind her the sound of a Ginrul's foot falls rising and falling in the sand stopped behind her and her eyes widened as she felt the presence of someone just by her ear.

"Oh, I don't know my darling Sparrow," Reaver whispered throatily in her ear making her shiver, "I wouldn't mind seeing you in a dress for a change." He laughed as he managed to avoid Sparrow's fist that whistled with lightning speed through the warm air. Sparrow glowered up at him her cheeks slightly pink as she turned with an indignant huff.

Reaver watched her as she jumped to her Ginrul's as the creature was rising from the ground sending a cascading waterfall of sand falling from its fluffy feathers. Lorna just as nimbly jumped to her customary seat with a helping hand from Sparrow. He turned his head slightly to see Oota pull in beside him with an amused smile. Reaver did not need to read minds to know what the old man was thinking and he chuckled.

"She is awfully good to tease," he remarked as the the enormous birds surged forward simultaneously.

"You shouldn't really tease a woman so much," the old man said with cautionary tone, but Reaver merely smirked. "She may grow to hate you."

A muscle in Reaver's cheek twitched. "I know what I'm doing," he said urging his Ginrul forward with a small spurt of speed so he fell beside Sparrow.

The old man sighed and shook his head. "If you say so," he chuckled. Behind him, watching with hooded eyes, Corban sat gazing at the figures of Reaver and Sparrow darkly. His fingers twitched against the reigns and as he reached down to his saddle bag to retrieve a water skin when he froze. His eyes rested on a small round object sat inside the saddle bag, glinting in the light. With jerk he snapped the bag shut and drank fitfully from the skin he grasped tightly in his hands hoping to forget what was in the bag.

Lorna was quite glad that they were traveling through a forest of huge spikes. It meant shadows which were cooler even if it were only a few degrees, but in the intense heat of the arid desert sun it was a welcome respite from its intensity. All in all, Lorna preferred the jungle and even though it was damp it still had water were as this place of sand there was none. Her small face turned to watch Oota doze in his saddle with his reigns hung loosely in his hands. The huge bird trudged on its way not really caring where it was going except for heading in a straight line. Lorna found this odd, but in no way strange unlike some parts of their journey. She sighed and leaned against the saddle of Sparrow's mount feeling a great weariness settle in her small body.

She felt a hand touch her blond hair with soft caresses and she smiled sweetly though she did not look up. She did not really have too. A small squawk made her look down and the white Ginrul trotted to keep up with its adult counterpart. It was hopping and flapping its wings trying to grab her attention. Lorna giggled at the creatures antics which seemed to please the Ginrul as it tried to twirl in a circle, but ended up burying its head in the sand. It squeaked when the adult Ginrul stepped right over it. It gave the adult an almost indolent glare that made the girl giggle more. It soon jumped to its feet and ran after them flapping its flightless wings irritably. Lorna smiled and titled her head curiously when she noted that the white Ginrul had grown since they had met. Lorna then turned to Garth who rode beside them with a map clutched tightly in his hands and he was marking on it with some drawing implement as he muttered under his breath.

"Um... Garth?"

The mage slowly peeled his eyes from the parchment and looked down at the child curiously.

"Yes Little one?"

"How big does a ...um... Gin-rul have to be before you can ride it?" she asked her big mauve eyes sparkling imploringly.

Garth blinked and mused the question over in his mind as his head tilted to look down at the white Ginrul that pranced beside them. He smiled gently and regarded the girl mildly.

"Don't you mean how big does he have to be before you can ride him, is that right?"

Lorna twitched a little and smiled sheepishly nodding as she conceded it to be true. Garth chuckled and judged the Ginrul's height to the small girl nestled between Sparrow's legs who listened with a small smile.

"Well, though I am sure you could ride him now as he it just big enough to take your weight," he said and a huge smile appeared on her young face, "However!" he held up a finger and her smiled faded to a curious expression.

"However, the Ginrul are not trained until they are 2 years old to accept a saddle and such," he told the girl, "Plus, young children are not really allowed to ride Ginrul when the fowl is so young, it can be quite dangerous."

Lorna pouted and looked down at the white Ginrul with a disappointed sigh. She turned back to the mage with a bright smile.

"Can I at least name him?"

Garth laughed. "I don't see why not."

Lorna giggled and looked back to the Ginrul with a warm smile. Her mauve eyes trailed up Oota who still appeared to be dozing, but the lid of his eye was cracked open a little and edges of his mouth were curled up indicating a smile. Lorna chewed her lip as she thought and then grinned when the answer popped into her mind.

She turned back to the mage with a confident smile. "Loki, I will name him Loki."

The white Ginrul cawed happily as it pranced beside them. Lorna giggled and smiled when she felt a strange tingling in her bones. A sense of triumph like she had just completed something overcame her and she looked up at the old man who watched with smile before pulling his cloak hood further over his face.

As the sky began its slow transition though dusk into twilight Lorna marvelled at the radiant colours as the cloudless sky seemed like a rainbow of pinks, light oranges, and light blues closely followed by the edges of the blanket of night hovering just on the horizon waiting for its time to creep across the sky. Lorna yawned widely as tiredness was beginning to enter her mind, but her stomach relentlessly growling preventing her from even having a small nap. She pouted to herself as she tightened the cloak. The temperature had dropped considerably since dusk began but the underlying heat of the desert remained and had yet to dissipate.

Her eyes trailed suspiciously to the envoy that headed the troop and kept them heading a due east. She narrowed her eyes and sent his way her annoyance as well as her frustration at the whole situation. She smiled happily when she saw him shiver in his saddle. Just as she was about to ask if she could ride with Oota the party came to an abrupt halt and the envoy turned slightly in his saddle causing a ripple of musical tinkling as his jewellery jingled.

"As I have promised, we have arrived-ah,Welcome to Taramina," he giggled and Sparrow pushed her Ginrul forward to the edge of what appeared to be a cliff. Lorna heard the woman gasp and she looked up curiously to see the shocked expression on the woman's face. Lorna leaned over to look round the thick neck of the Ginrul and yet she still could not see anything past feathers that stuck out.

She squeaked when she felt a strong pair of hands lift her from her perch and her eyes remained wide with surprise, her body limp much like a kitten does when its mother picks it up by the scruff of the neck. When she had stopped moving she found her self perched upon Reaver's shoulder and peering down into a vast valley of glistening white buildings. She smiled widely as her eyes scanned what seemed like a vast basin dug out of the very ground and the houses reminded her of stacked blocks that started from the bottom sweeping up the edges piled on top of each other as curved paths wound between the buildings. She felt like she could reach out and just rearrange the blocks to her own design. On the very far side of the vast bowl loomed a fortress with innumerable turrets that rose like giant spikes towards the sky. Leading up to it was a vast road way, straight as an arrow, leading the way to the entrance of the deadly looking palace. A strange sense of foreboding made the smile fade from her lips.

"Quite a sight isn't it," the envoy said with a warm smile. For some reason his overly high voice set Lorna's teeth on edge. She had no real opinion of the man, but it got her to wondering if it really was a man or if he was merely gender confused. The thought made her giggle involuntarily and Reaver looked up questioningly. She merely smiled down at him as he lowered her down into the crook of his Ginrul's neck.

With a grand gesture the envoy encouraged them to follow. "Come, come, the Grand Chief is waiting."

Reaver gave the bird a quick slap on the rump to make it move forward and it made a diffident squawk before trudging after the others. Lorna merely watched with curious eyes as they made their way single file down a slope that was previously hidden to them. It wound down the side of the cliff face before turning so they paraded down the narrow dusty streets. People glanced at them inquisitively as they meandered though the streets. Children that had been playing strange games stopped to point and stare before running off laughing as the escort guards approached. Lorna marveled, as she peered into the open windows, at how highly decorated the interiors seemed to be compared to the outside. Yes the walls were a dazzling white, but it lacked any of the grandeur of some of the other towns and cities she had so far seen. Though she knew that a certain amount of practicality was involved in the architectural design she could not help feeling there must have been a way to make the buildings more attractive like maybe some trees or gardens in the streets for there seemed a lack of anything green about the place. She sighed and nestled herself between the Pirates knees who guided the fowl down the street.

As they slowly drew deeper into the bowl the temperature began to drop even further as the intense shadows created by the setting sun allowed the air to become cooler. Lorna shivered a little and drew her thin cloak closer to ward off the sudden chill. As if sensing the sudden drop in temperature Yi poked his head out of his sleeping place in Lorna's hood. He did not seem so keen on the intense heat of the desert as he nuzzled Lorna's face affectionately glowing a light green. The foreboding feeling did nothing to help the matter and as the group then stepped out of the ally way onto the long strip leading to the palace it grew like a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. Yi watched twittering worriedly in her ear as his green turned to a worrying yellow. She looked up at the fortress as it loomed over them the closer they drew to it and she wanted nothing more than to turn, and hid someplace far away from it. Yi followed her gaze and turned a deep blue out of fear. Reaver peered down at her with a worried expression.

"Are you alright poppet?" he asked in a low tone and the concern made her tilt her head questioningly.

"I'm fine," she smiled as brightly as she could though the pirate's concern shocked her a little. She never heard that tone of voice coming form him before. It was strange to say the least, but she ignored it for the moment as he smiled his usual charming smile. It always seemed to her that whenever he smiled that way it could make you forget things. She smiled back shyly as her cheeks flushed a light pink. Her eyes turned back to the fortress as the pirate chuckled.

As they got closer to the cullis gate the foreboding swirled in the pit of her stomach slowly becoming fear. She quivered and her teeth clenched tightly to stop the whimper that she knew that was building in her throat, but as the large entrance way approached she closed her eyes tightly so she could not see it her body beginning to shake uncontrollably. Before she knew it the whimper escaped and she hid her self amongst the folds of her clock. Reaver peered down again.

"Seriously, Lorna are you alright?"

She turned slightly to grab his leg she whimpered again. Reaver peeled the cloth back to see tiny tears streaking down her pink cheeks and Yi took flight dive bombing the Pirates face as he chattered angrily at him.

"No, I don't want to go in," she whined in a small voice. Seeing the girls fearful tears nearly threw Reaver into a fit of panic. He turned to Sparrow as the little girl constantly repeated her self whilst the small faery zoomed around their heads squeaking worriedly.

"No I don't wonna, don't want to go in!"

"Sparrow!" he half shouted to get the warrior woman's attention. Sparrow drew up beside him as Lorna's whimpers turned into tiny sobs and Reaver's face paled beneath his tan, eyes wild with distress. The sight would have made the woman laugh, but her maternal concern overrode her sadistic pleasure at seeing the pirate so fearful of a crying child. She placed her hand gently on the girl's head.

"Lorna, what is it?"

"I don't want to go in," she repeated insistently and continued to murmur the words like a mantra as she sobbed.

Sparrow pursed her lips and motioned for Reaver to pass the child. The pirate looked horrified raising his hands defensively as if touching the teary child would give him an illness.

"Don't be a ponce Reaver, just pick her up and hand her too me," Sparrow said irritably, "Not so hard is it?"

Reaver cast Sparrow a dark scowl as his hands snaked round the girls underarms and lifted her easily before passing her over to the awaiting woman's arms. One of the escorting soldiers peered at them as they swapped the child.

"What's going on!?" he demanded as he glowered over at them.

"Oh nothing," Sparrow said cheerily, "She's just tired and its been a long day."

The soldier snorted, but let it slide as Sparrow gave him a winsome smile. She sighed and cradled the girl as Lorna sobbed into her shoulder. Sparrow looked round at the others a little worriedly as she shifted uncomfortably in her saddle. Reaver looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," she replied as she held the girl tighter rocking slightly like a mother would a tiny baby as she whispered soothing words to the child. Yi flitted down to rest on top of Lorna's head as he watched the women coo down at her tilting its head in a confused manner. As she hummed she began to sing softly her soft voice filtering over to her comrades who looked on in amazement.

Hush now my baby be still love don't cry,

Sleep like you're rocked by the stream,

Sleep and remember my lullaby

and I'll be with you when you dream

At the sound to her voice Lorna's sobbing eased and her body visibly relaxed in her arms.

Drift on a river that flows through my arms

Drift as I'm singing to you

I see you smiling so peaceful and calm,

and holding you I'm smiling too

Here in my arms, safe from all harm,

and holding you I'm smiling too

Hush now my baby be still love don't cry,

Sleep like you're rocked by the stream,

Sleep and remember this river lullaby

and I'll be with you when you dream

here my arms safe from all harm

holding I'm smiling too,

Sleep and remember this river lullaby,

and I'll be with you when you dream,

sleep remember this river lullaby,

and I'll be with you when you dream,

I'll be with you when you dream.

When the last word was whispered Lorna's eyelids slid closed and her breathing evened out into the rhythm of sleep even Yi too had curled up breathing softly. Sparrow looked down at the child's serene, tear streaked face and sighed wiing at her cheeks gently. She had always been a sensitive child, but this was the first time she had reacted so badly to anything. Sparrow's eyes trailed up to the sheer wall of the front of the fortress above her head suspiciously. The others may not think anything of it, but there was something here and she could not put her finger on it. Whatever it was caused an uneasy feeling to envelope her. She turned when she heard a snore and looked over at Reaver who was bent over his saddle snoring loudly. He looked up, peeking up from under his hair, to make sure she was looking then quickly looked away when she was. It was the same look her dog used to give her if he had done something bad and was trying to make it out he had nothing to do with it. The pirate began snoring again and anger flared in her chest. With a snap of her wrist she cracked her riding crop over his back and she watched with a smirk when he howled with pain. She ignored him then, riding through the grand arched cullis gate, the insults and curses flung at her back.

As the dark shadow of the gate passed over them they were suddenly omitted to a vast courtyard. At its very centre was a large fountain of a strange mythical beast rising from a wave with its back arched almost impossibly backwards with its maw open. From its mouth issued a frothing plume of water that cascaded over its scaly body before the liquid landed with musical splashes in the shell shaped bowl beneath it. The rest of the area was separated into four sections each with shaped and well pruned bushes. The flower beds were an eruption of exotic colour and Sparrow's mouth fell open. Around the edge of the large space were long, thin pillars that looked far to fragile to hold the ceiling aloft, were covered in swirling vines that were wound about the thin white stone as if it were strangling it. Yi woke with a start and jumped to its feet looking around disinterestedly before taking flight to lazily fly round their heads. As the group slid from their fowls the birds were lead away and Sparrow's eyes slid upwards to gaze at the strangest canopy she had ever seen. To her it was looked like a transparent chequered blanket, but as she looked closer the lines were beams of some metal she could not put a name too that held the sheets above their heads. A certain amount of paranoia passed through her when the thought of the glass suddenly falling on their heads made her clutch the sleeping child closer to her.

The chamberlain jingled off his overly ostentatious Ginrul and waddled to the front of the group jingling as he went. Reaver watched with an amused smile as the man had a little trouble turning around and looked at them with a cheery smile.

"Well come, to the Tara Palace and if you will follow me I will take you to meet the Grand Chief immediately," he announced and lead them across the courtyard, then through a strangely shaped arch way that reminded her more of a hull of a ship that was upside down, except perhaps more exaggerated. The corridor's where made from the same white stone and their heels clicked along its surface as they walked sending eery echoes along the corridor.

The further in they went into the palace the pristine white was beginning to feel imposing and for a palace it was very empty almost hollow. Even the likes of Fairfax Castle had more of a homely feel and that has been empty for some years now. The chamberlain that guided them slowly through the halls huffed and puffed muttering irritably in Samarkand. Finally he stopped in front of a heavy dark wood door and knocked upon it three times. A bell just above the door rattled musically and the door slowly opened with an agonising groan. A fresh breeze filtered through with the sound of running water and Sparrow immediately felt her spirits lift at the sound. They passed through the portal Yi zipping over their heads and into a medium sized room though Sparrow could not really determine the purpose of the room. Her gaze settled on the carpet of grass, and the small stream that appeared out of one wall, then disappeared into the opposite wall. The only way to cross the shallow stream were slippery looking stepping stones. It seemed like a wild garden indoors with shrubs and flowers scattered at random with vast vines and trees creeping up the walls that reached out across a ceiling that looked almost identical to the one in the courtyard letting brilliant sunlight filter through. From amongst the waist height scrubs a thin looking figure appeared and they waved a hand to invite them across the stream.

The small group looked to one another as the chamberlain encouraged them to follow. Sparrow cautiously stepped lightly across the stones jumping from one to the other till she touched grass again. She turned to watch the others hop across and she laughed when Reaver slipped, with a dark curse, plunging his foot into the frigid cold water. He glanced up darkly before resuming like nothing happened. As they meandered along a hidden path of stones covered in moss camouflaging them with the grass Sparrow shifted the weight of the child and noted she had grown a little heavier. Garth looked at her questioningly, but she smiled reassuringly. Once she started carrying the child she was not going to relinquish her hold for no one. Besides, she was as strong as Hammer was; well nearly.

As they approached the figure clad in a robe of white he was bent over a bush clipping at it with some implement Sparrow had not seen before. He had a lanky looking physique and yet he was not particularly tall, with Sparrow clearly a foot taller, but he had a defiant presence about him something Sparrow had not felt since Lucien. This immediately put her on guard and her arms tightened about Lorna.

As he turned he regarded them all with a friendly smile, but his eyes peered down at them over a hawk like nose his intense stare was icy, calculating. He bowed stiffly and motioned them closer.

"I am Morzai, Grand Chief of all that you have seen within our humble little city," he said in quiet voice and yet it commanded their absolute attention, "I am pleased you made it here unscathed."

He removed the gloves that were covering hands and held out a welcoming hand first to Corban who introduced himself quickly and Morzai turned to Garth with a Grin.

"Ah Master Garth, would it be?"

Garth nodded curiously and the shorter man laughed. "Word of your prowess and intelligence has reached even our ears my dear Arch Mage," he inclined his head before moving on too Oota who looked at the hand suspiciously before taking it gruffly.

"And who would you be?" Morzai asked a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Old Man," Oota stated loudly making the Chief take a step backward. Sparrow could not help but smile as Morzai inclined his head as he removed his hand.

When he got to Sparrow he gazed down at the bundle in her arms with mild curiosity. Sparrow watched him very carefully and she felt Lorna twitch in her arms as he pulled back the clock to reveal Lorna's face. He smiled warmly although Sparrow saw something in those icy eyes that glimmered for an instant. He quickly looked up at Sparrow with no more than a brief glance as he turned away to shake a very stiff Reaver's hands. She watched as Reaver took the chief's hand and gave it a single quick jerk as he glowered down at him. Morzai shifted uncomfortably looking up at the pirate with nothing more than a relaxed and open expression, but Sparrow could tell the brusque encounter had set him on edge. Though it left Sparrow wondering what had got up Reaver's skirt to react in such a way. Yi settled on her shoulder glowing red, but remained quiet.

"I am assume _she _is yours?" the chief asked Reaver and both Reaver and Sparrow mirrored each others shock at the statement. Reaver's face became stoic though his green eyes glinted down at him as Sparrow added her own flinty glare to the growing tense atmosphere. Was he seriously suggesting Sparrow was Reaver's wife or was it slave. She had no idea in this part of the world which would be the case, but neither pleased her. As if responding to its owner the Daichi crackled menacingly and Morzai's eyes widened incredulously, but whatever he was about to say he fought back.

"No," Reaver said in a slow, dangerous voice, "_She _is her own."

With that Morzai turned to his chamberlain to speak a few words before turning back to the group a tentative hand sweeping back his dark hair from his face as he smiled.

"It has been a long journey and I request you join me for dinner," he said with a grand sweep of his hand, "Though I do believe you would like to freshen up first, so some of my servants will take you to quarters that have been assigned to you and show you where the bathing rooms are. You must all be tired and I would so much like to be friends so forgive my... assumption."

Reaver nodded stiffly leaving Sparrow to sigh with relief at the thought of a descent bath and the mere mention started to make her itch with anticipation. Reaver however had remained stiff yet expressionless and Sparrow looked at him questioningly, but he refused to look her way. She did not have a chance to question him when a servant approached and lead her away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wow, that like took me forever! I know it is a longer chapter but it took me ages to right this. Well I was ill again, but shush we won't mention that. Oh and before I forget the song is titled 'River Lullaby' from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack and all rights are reserved for Dreamworks animation studios. X3 I'm not religious, but I still enjoyed that film, a good bit of story telling, but anyway so I do not own the song .

I hope you liked it and can't wait to hear any thoughts for well anything really. Ways to improve, any general comments. I do promise some fluff in future to but its hard to keep the story going and balance that out with the relationship of the characters. 'sighs' I guess I will get there eventually.


	18. The Music of Life

Sparrow made a noise of absolute pleasure as she slouched in the bathing seat of the tub she was sat in. The wooden slated tub was large and filled to the brim with steaming warm water, its tepid surface covered in frothy foam that surrounded her with an uplifting fragrance. She smiled tenderly to herself as she stretched out her weary limbs. It was so pleasant to finally get out of the heat of the blinding sun and finally ease the ache that decided to settle permanently in her bones. The warmth of the water seeped through her muscles leaving her feeling content and quite willing to drift off, and having washed her self free of the dirt she felt she could do just that.

Though she had welcomed the respite she could not help feeling this small knot of worry in her stomach. There was many reasons for this the least of which was that, because Morzai had thought she was Reaver's maid or servant or what ever, she growled a little in annoyance, she was now sleeping in a small room adjacent to Reaver's own quarters. It was nothing special neither was it bad, but the thought of being related in that way to that Pirate infuriated her let alone it left her vulnerable to anything the pirate may try. The main reason though was Lorna who was now sleeping peacefully with Oota who kindly volunteered to keep an eye on her. Sparrow then sighed closing her eyes and leaned her head against the edge of the massive bath as her thoughts drifted. Why and how did Morzai know about our party? How did he come to know? What does he really want? Were a few of the questions that filtered through her mind as well as why was Lorna acting so strange?

The sound of disturbed water made her twitch slightly and she sat up. She nearly screamed when a familiar grin smirked at her from across the tub.

"Well hello there," Reaver chuckled tilting his head slightly as he regarded the fuming women.

Sparrow's immediate reaction was to cover herself but when she did Reaver waved a dismissive hand.

"Good gracious women you haven't got anything I have not seen before," he commented airily. Sparrow merely glared her normally calm blue eyes icy as she kept a keen eye on the pirate who sat there grinning like an idiot. She gritted her teeth as she bit back several cutting remarks.

"What are you doing in here!?" she demanded with a hiss, "this is the women's bathing quarters, the men's are across the hall!!"

"I know," he said with a hint of disappointment, "But Garth and Corban are taking their time and to be honest I have no desire to bath with that rat. He might get his dirty fur on me."

He patted his hair down and Sparrow stared incredulously. She huffed as she drew her knee protectively against her chest and sat sideways to the pirate. He observed this calmly and a cruel smile twisted the edges of his lips.

"I won't bite you know," he said with mock sincerity, "well, unless you want me too."

He laughed out loud as her face fell and looked appalled. She shook her head and continued to glare as if by doing so she had created a shield between them.

"I merely wish to bathe my dear," Reaver said airily, "It just so happens I did not want to bathe alone, but not with those two." He inspected his nails with pursed lips while Sparrow watched him wearily. Seeing her squirm delighted Reaver to no end as he looked across the pool.

"Hmm you really like your bubbles don't you," he said picking up some of the foam as he watched her out of the corner of his eye. Her face was bright red and he knew that had nothing to do with the water. His eyes roamed a little and wished the bubbles would hurry up and disperse. He always preferred a good look before touching though the thought of exploring from under the water made him grin impishly. Sparrow saw this and was on immediate alert.

As Reaver and Sparrow watched each other from the opposite edges of the pool the pirate caught sight of something he had not noticed before. She had thin silvery scars running the length of her left upper arm, some across her collar bone, but what held his gaze was a scar that sat upon her heart. Curious to get a better look he moved towards her and Sparrow froze as she saw Reaver's lean body glide through the water towards her. Her mind went suddenly blank as he stepped towards her and she gulped when she found herself pinned unable to escape. Though as she waited to see what he did she found her self gaping in surprise when Reaver poked her in the chest and she looked down at the all familiar scar normally hidden in the crevice of her cleavage or cloth of a tunic. Her hand instinctively covered it and she cast him a flinty stare.

"Where did you get a nasty scar like that?" he asked drawing closer to her making the women fidget.

"It's really old," she said evasively, but the pirate looked unconvinced.

"How old?"

"I don't see how it matters," her breath hitching slightly in her throat as through the heat of the water she could feel his body and she desperately tried to inch away from him. With a grin Reaver grabbed her shoulder to stop her from moving, forced her legs down so that he could slid into her lap. The look on her face was priceless as the red turned crimson then dark burgundy. Her heart was beating so hard she feared the pirate may hear it and she fought with her body to keep it from trembling against the feeling of flesh on flesh, but not from fear or embarrassment.

"Get off me!" she growled in a small voice her hands raising ready to push him off.

"No!" he said firmly, "Not until you tell me." He wrapped his arm about her neck pressing his chest against her breast as his index finger trailed over the scar.

"Um, I, er, mm er..." she stammered as she struggled to keep her body and mind under control.

"Well?" Reaver demanded impatiently, "out with it."

Her teeth gritted tightly. "I was shot," she said in a tight voice and her body became rigid. In her minds eye the image of Lucien holding the pistol up to her with that dark look in his eye as it exploded. Immeasurable pain like nothing she could forget exploded in her young body as she crashed through the window, cracked her skull on a roof before smashing to the street below.

"By who?" Reaver continued to pressed.

"Lucien," she said in a small voice.

"Ah, on hero hill?" the pirate asked in a helpful tone and she shook his head. Confused he was about to ask when Sparrow managed to find the strength to shove him off roughly. He landed in the water thrashing about violently before coming up to gasp and sputter for air.

"That was uncalled for," he gasped as he crawled into the seat opposite. He turned to glare at Sparrow whose face had paled to almost sheet white as her eyes fixed him on with a stare filled with pain, anger, hate and oddly longing. He suddenly felt very small in comparison to this women whose grief was still fresh in her heart and her anger electrified the room with its power. If Reaver was not mistaken he could of sworn he saw will lines flicker like a sputtering candle.

"You want to know," she said in a slow, deep, and deadly voice, "After shooting my sister in cold blood he turned to me and shot me, I was only eight. I fell through his study window..." her fingers indicating some of the scars on her arms where the glass had cut and embedded in her skin, "...then landed on a roof cracking my skull open..." her hand tentatively went to her head of hair a twisted scar was hidden, "... before landing in the street below, snapping my neck as if it where nothing but a twig."

Reaver's eyes widened in mute shock. He had not heard about the events that lead up to the confrontation in the Spire. At the time he had not cared for history details all he wanted was to get the whole thing over and done with, but now this women had revealed something about her past she had evidently kept deeply hidden away and here he thought it was something silly like a bandit that got a lucky shot.

"If it were not for Theresa I … I ..." Sparrow looked away from him swallowing hard as a lump caught in her throat, "...I would be dead."

"Ah," Reaver coughed uncomfortably a feeling of uncertainty washing over him as he watched as she turned to get out of the tub. He made to grab her to pull her back in but something held him back as she quickly grabbed a towel to hide her naked body then fled from the room. Reaver growled and turned to glare at his reflection who waggled his finger at him as if to say 'I would not if I were you'. Reaver sighed and sank back into his seat before pouting very childishly. His reflection shook its head before settling into being like a normal reflection.

Sparrow staggered slightly as her feet dragged her back to the room. Her heart was racing and her mind was tumbling over itself as her thoughts remained in chaos. _Damn that Reaver, damn him to hell_, was the main thoughts that rippled through her conciousness. Her bath robe clung to her frame as parts of her body were still damp and it felt uncomfortable as it rubbed while she stalked down the corridor blindly lead by her feet that took her on a course; where she did not know. It was not that she told Reaver about what caused her scar, no it was not that. She stopped to catch her breath that was still catching in her throat. Never had she this kind of reaction to any person man or woman. She leaned against a marble pillar pressing her forehead to its cool surface finding little relief from it.

"Come on Sparrow," she muttered, "pull yourself together, it was nothing... nothing."

The feel of Reaver's body against hers had caused a conflict of interest; body versus mind. She hated it. Why did Reaver have to take such interest in her of all people. She did not even consider herself all that attractive either. She pushed away from the pillar when her pulse slowed enough to attempt walking without passing out and looked about realising for the first time she was in an unfamiliar part of the palace. Not that one could tell as most of the corridors looked the same, so in a way it was easy to get lost. The thought was little consolation as she bravely stepped down the corridor hoping to find someone in the quiet hallways to show her the direction back to the sleeping quarters.

She turned a corner and paused when the corridor broke into a circular hall. The same pillars from the corridors surrounded the edge and they supported what looked like a translucent dome that filled the area with hazy light giving it a very ethereal feel, but at the very centre point of the dome was small hole that let a single stream of solid light that illuminated the centre of the room. As Sparrow's gaze followed it her eyes widened with delight for in the centre of the room was a small raised podium and upon it was something she had not seen in nearly twenty years. When travelling in parts of Albion with the Gypsies she had seen this particular instrument once in some ones warehouse. If she remembered correctly it was called a piano though it looked more like a table with a dip at the front where the keys were yet it was still a welcome sight to Sparrow as she made her way towards it the heels of her boots clicking on the cold stone floor. A smile appeared on her lips and her fingers twitched longing to touch the pearlescent keys and listen to the sweet note that issued from under the flat lid of the piano. The instrument itself was made from a black wood she had never seen before but it had a deep red hue to it that gave the wood a lustre to which none of the lighter woods she had seen had. She eased herself onto the stool in front of the keys and rested her fingers tips over the smooth material that was cold to the touch but it was not unwelcome. Sitting there in that pillar of light made her feel like she was cut off from the rest of the room even though there was no physical barrier and yet the odd feeling of separation made her thoughts focus on the piano in front of her. She became irresistibly drawn to it making her want to express her current feelings through it and produce something that felt just like she did.

A light cough made her jump and spun round fearing that Reaver had followed her, but to her intense relief a women not older than she was stood with a bemused smile. She was not a servant that much Sparrow could tell by her rich red dress, but her demeanour, though confident, still had a demure quality. She stepped towards the podium her dark skin slightly shiny in the bright light and her warm brown eyes regarded Sparrow kindly. Her chocolate coloured hair was drawn into a ponytail high on her head so that her wavy hair cascaded down one side of her neck and down her shoulder. She was, by her peoples standards, exceptionally beautiful and Sparrow felt her mouth gap.

"I take it you got lost," she said her velvety voice was gently accented and Sparrow nodded.

"I'm sorry am I not supposed to be here?" Sparrow asked defensively and the young women smiled broadly shaking her head.

"Its alright," she replied, "You would know if you were not meant to be here if there were guards littering the place."

Sparrow chuckled and nodded. "Yeah I guess," she smiled feeling at ease in this woman's presence, "My name is Sparrow."

She held out her hand which the other woman took it shaking gently. "I know, I am Adrianna."

"Pleasure to meet you Adrianna," Sparrow smiled and looked to the piano with a wistful sigh.

The dark skinned women chuckled. "It belonged to my mother," she said laying a tender hand upon the piano's top and surprised Sparrow looked up curiously.

"Your mother?"

"Yes," Adrianna pointed to the stool and Sparrow nodded shifting over so that she could sit, as she did Adrianna poked one of the keys, "she was Morzai's seventh wife."

Sparrow gaped. "Seven wives?" Sparrow gaffawed, "that would make you his daughter!"

The woman smiled her brown eyes twinkling. "Yes it would," she chuckled, "I am his youngest daughter of, well, fourteen I believe."

Sparrow laughed incredulously and shook her head. "Wow that's a lot of sisters, what about brothers?"

"Hmm about eleven I believe," she grinned as Sparrow laughed again.

"That is a lot of children," Sparrow and Adrianna nodded, "I only had the one sister older of course."

"It is not easy being the youngest," Adrianna said and Sparrow smiled sorrowfully.

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed and Adrianna saw the other woman's expression.

"I'm sorry," She said sympathetically and Sparrow looked to her astonished, but Adrianna merely smiled.

"I have my mother's talent for reading people," she said, "I understand what it is like to lose someone close so those feelings are easy to read."

"Ah I see, um do you mind me asking?" She looked to Adrianna questioningly and the women smiled.

"My mother," she said with a sad smile.

"Oh I'm sorry."

"No need, it was a long time ago," she said poking the piano key again and listening to the note that reverberated round the hall, "Mind you, I never learnt how to play the piano, all I can do is poke keys, though the reason being I have the musical capacity lump of unrefined metal."

The off-hand manner in which she said this made Sparrow laugh despite herself. Adrianna patted the woman's arm and got up a huge smile on her luscious lips.

"Come, I will show you back to your room," she offered happily and Sparrow reluctantly got up and gave the piano one last wistful look before following the smaller woman out to a corridor.

As she followed Adrianna they chatted aimlessly, and having some one of her own gender and age was a pleasant change. Though no one could replace Hammer it was heart warming to have someone to merely gossip with. She felt as if a weight had lifted just a little though it was far from lifting completely. They met Corban in the hall way and Sparrow asked if Reaver was back from the bathing rooms. Corban had no idea, but seeing him Sparrow knew she was near her quarters. Her heart started to thump again as the thought of seeing Reaver so soon after the 'insisdent' she decided to call it caused her to feeling hesitant and nervous. She swallowed hard and Adrianna cast her a bemused look.

"Are you okay Sparrow?"

Sparrow laughed hollowly. "I'm fine," she said though Adrianna seemed unconvinced but she let it slid as they rounded the corner. By this time Sparrow started to recognise some of the halls leading to her rooms. She found a small measure of comfort in that knowing she was no longer lost. She turned to Adrianna and quizzed her about how she manages to find her way around.

Adrianna smiled. "Having older siblings of a competitive nature causes one to refine their sense of direction," she explained and Sparrow nodded knowingly, "I was always chased especially by some of my older brothers through these halls and corridors. As a result I found quite a few hiding places." She suddenly grinned wickedly. "I remember one time three of my brothers, Angelo, Asto and Marikan chased me, to be honest it was my fault, but that's a different story, and I found a small hole hidden behind a statue. That was how I discovered the servant's secret passages." She giggled girlishly her eyes twinkling. "Ever since then I could pop up in places that would surprise everyone. Father was always pleased by my prompt arrivals. Unfortunately this favour, as you can imagine, was not favourable with my siblings."

"Oh I could imagine," Sparrow chuckled as they stopped by a door, which Sparrow looked at with a look of distaste. She took a step away from it and smiled awkwardly at Adrianna. "Erm, you wouldn't mind having a peek and see if... er... a tall, blonde man is in there would you... please."

Adrianna gave her a withering look and chuckled as she took hold of the door handle. Sparrow sighed with relief and smiled appreciatively as, with deliberate slowness, Adrianna pushed the handle down and the door opened enough for her to peer into the room.

After a few moments Sparrow shifted impatiently. "Well, is he in there?" she asked worriedly and she, to Sparrow's horror, nodded. Sparrow chewed on her lip nervously. She had no desire to walk past him just so she could get changed. Adrianna stared at her blankly and rolled her eyes, then without warning she grabbed Sparrow's wrist and gave it a yank to force the taller woman to follow her. Sparrow let out a squeak of surprise as she suddenly found her self dragged through the door. She held her breath as she turned to face her fate.

Reaver's room was large with a luxurious circular bed pushed to the far side and a wide floor to ceiling window lead onto a balcony that looked down upon one of the many indoor gardens. Upon the floor was a rug made from the skin of a large furry animal while a hearth sat cold and empty opposite the bed. Reaver was sat upon the bed nestled amongst the silken sheets with his diary in his lap and a quill in his other hand hovering in mid-air as he glanced upon the two women with mild interest. His gaze stayed upon Sparrow for a moment who refused to look his way before looking at the shorter Samarkandian women noting she had Sparrow grasped by the wrist. Despite his inner amusement his face remained expressionless.

"Ah, you would be Reaver would you not?" Adrianna asked with a polite curtsey and Reaver inclined his head.

"Yes, that would be me."

"I apologise for the intrusion," she stated offhandedly and proceeded to drag the protesting Sparrow through a door beside the fireplace. Reaver watched with raised eyebrows as the door snapped behind them and he sighed. He looked down at his diary and shook his head almost sadly as the quill swept across the page leaving behind his thoughts and feelings of the day.

Once inside the small, almost cramped room, she sighed with relief and walked over to where her bags were as quiet as she could as Lorna was snuggled up in the covers and Oota was snoring away in his chair, feet propped upon the bed. Adrianna looked upon the two with a kind smile as she drew a curtain so that Sparrow could change in peace.

"She is a beautiful child," Adrianna said as Sparrow removed her robe.

"Yes she is," Sparrow replied as she rummaged through the bag for decent clothing.

"But she is not yours?"

The question made Sparrow tense up before she relaxed and unfolded a blouse.

"No," she replied in a hard voice, "I adopted her when she was five."

Adrianna noticed the tone in her voice and nodded. "I see," she said simply, "What of Reaver? I sense some tension."

Sparrow sighed and slid a pale blue skirt over her head. "That pervert is pain," she stated heatedly, "your lucky you know."

"Why is that?" Adrianna asked curiously and Sparrow smirked.

"If you had 'intruded' with anyone else or on your own he may well of shot you."

Adrianna grinned. "But he didn't though."

"Yes, surprisingly."

"Would it be because he saw me with you?" Adrianna asked and she could tell by the frosty silence this was sensitive area. When Sparrow did not reply she knew she was not going to get any more out of the woman. A knock on the door sounded and she opened it curiously and Reaver stood there as she peered through the narrow gap at him.

"Yes?"

"Is Sparrow ready?" he asked curiously trying to peer into the room.

"I don't know," Adrianna said, "Let me check, Sparrow are you ready?" She called to the woman in a low voice so she did not wake the two that were sleeping.

"Nearly," was the reply as Sparrow buttoned her blouse. Adrianna nodded and turned back to the expectant Reaver with a dull eyed smile.

"Nearly," she replied blinking as he rolled his eyes.

"Well, the servant is here to take us to dinner so … hurry up," he called through the door before giving the girl a strange look and turning to walk out of his room to wait in the corridor. Adrianna closed the door and giggled. As Sparrow pulled the curtain back she tilted her head questioningly as she quickly brushed her hair, but the dark skinned woman shrugged evasively and opened the door. Before Sparrow stepped through after her she looked down upon Lorna with a gentle smile.

"Sleep well," she whispered before closing the door gently behind her. Lorna stirred a little and her eye cracked open a little.

"Are they gone?" she whispered and Oota's head moved a little so he looked round the room with his dark eyes. He smirked.

"Yup." As if it were a command Lorna jumped up and looked to the old man expectantly. As she did so he sat up rubbing his hands together and pulled out a game board from under the bed.

"Alright," he said placing strangely shaped pieces on the board, "lets have ago at this one more time, remember what I told you."

Lorna nodded enthusiastically and grinned as she took a pair of dice from her dress pocket.

"Seven and eleven are favourable, though an Aces or Boxcars is a wins if a 2 or 12 is thrown," she smiled proudly and Oota patted her on the head.

"Well done, now what you betting?" he asked as she moved one or two of the pieces across the board.

Sparrow followed Adrianna to the door which she opened revealing a miffed and ever growing impatient Reaver. Sparrow paused and looked over her shoulder at the door before turning back to Adrianna with an amused expression.

"What is it?" she asked standing by the door as Reaver peered at them curiously.

Sparrow chuckled as she approached with a shake of her head. "You know, I don't think Lorna was a sleep," she admitted and Adrianna gave her a questioning look.

"Call it a mother's intuition," Sparrow said with a grin, "Well lets go, get it over with."

"Are you not looking forward to dining with my father?" Adrianna sounded a little hurt, but Sparrow shook her head with a small laugh.

"No, no, its not that," she said quickly, "I'm just not feeling particularly hungry today." As she passed into the corridor where a servant nervously waited with Reaver beside him.

"Follow me please," the servant said and they followed quietly. Sparrow stayed close to Adrianna as they continued to walk laughing and joking, which was more of an excuse to ignore Reaver who looked on with disinterest though his eyes trailed to the woman who walked in front of him. He sighed as his eyes trailed to her bottom and he smiled noting from before as she left the bath that it was rather heart shaped. He always thought it was a cute shape compared to those who had large round buttocks. He repressed a chuckle as they turned a corner and were met with a pair of doors with familiar black clad guards either side.

The guards turned and admitted them to a low ceiling room that was simply decorated. The table was rather small with only space enough four eight, which seemed odd to Sparrow as she looked to Garth who was already there with Corban sitting there waiting for them to arrive. This must be for private dining she surmised as she approached. Morzai sat at the head of the table with a stern looking women at his left side who looked upon them with mild disinterest her dark hair was drawn tight over head to form a large ponytail at her neck. Morzai stood to greet them and indicated the seats beside him. He greeted his daughter warmly who took the seat next to the woman looking a little uncomfortable by the seating arrangement, so Sparrow sat next to her with a warm smile. Reaver hesitated and took the seat next to Garth looking down upon the multiple cutlery that glinted at him form the table top.

"This is my youngest daugther, Adrianna," he said as Adrianna smiled and inclined her head, "and this is my first wife Excella." He indicating the women at his side who merely inclined her head stiffly as way of acknowledgement. Sparrow gave her a friendly smile, but the stern women gave her head a imperious jerk leaving Sparrow feeling stung. The warrior women visibly bristled, but relented when Garth gave her a hard look, so she forced herself to calm down. Adrianna turned to her and rolled her eyes as she leaned forward.

"Miss Ice Queen," Adrianna whispered in a voice only she could hear and Sparrow grinned widely.

"I hope you enjoy the meal," Morzai said with a friendly smile, but when he looked to the two empty seats it fell, "we seem to have a few missing." He tilted his head questioningly towards Sparrow as a stream of servants marched out carrying trays of green coloured soup.

Sparrow smiled apologetically as a bowl was placed in front of her. "I'm dreadfully sorry," she said, "Lorna must have been far more exhausted than I had thought, so she is still sleeping and, er, Oota Dabun is looking after her for me."

Morzai smiled knowingly and nodded as he raised his spoon. "I understand completely, so no need to be sorry," he chuckled, "I know full well what it is like looking after children."

Sparrow nodded uncertainly as she raised a similar spoon and tasted the soup. It was rather pleasant despite its odd colour and it reminded her of pea soup that she used to have when living with the gypsies. The meal passed in relative silence with simple polite conversation with a more interview feel as Morzai quizzed them on various aspects of their journey. The answers were fairly evasive as they tried to keep specific information hidden from the chief even as he cleverly questioned them as if trying to catch them out. As the main meal passed into dessert Sparrow found herself with a third glass of wine, which was unusual for her as she did not drink wine that often. She chatted idly with Adrianna relating various stories of her adventures and misdemeanours when she had travelled with Hammer. Reaver remained rather quiet as others chatted around him leaving him to push his piece of cake rather unenthusiastically around the plate. Garth looked to him with a puzzled frown.

"Is everything alright Reaver?" the Mage asked. Reaver looked up from his plate with a stoic glance and nodded.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"Well you have been pushing that piece of cake around the plate for the past ten minutes," the mage said with an amused sniff, "everyone else has finished."

With a look of surprise Reaver looked about everyone else's plates and realised the mage was right. The pirate then shrugged and pushed the plate away, which was quickly whisked off. Garth sighed and shook his head. Seeing that everyone had finally finished their meals Morzai stood.

"Would you care to join me in my study?" he asked as his wife, Excella rose with him. As the three men rose to follow Sparrow respectfully declined using Lorna as an excuse to part with them. Reaver watch her leave with a frown and again hesitated not sure whether to follow or not. With a sigh he stayed. Adrianna watched him and smiled gently as she rose, made her excuses and quickly followed Sparrow out. When she caught up she was puffing slightly with effort.

"My goodnes, you walk fast," the small Samarkandian commented as she pottered beside the warrior.

"Oh sorry I didn't realise you wanted to come along," Sparrow said with genuine apology, but Adrianna waved it aside dissmissively.

"It's okay, you didn't know," she said with a mysterious smile, "you aren't going back to your room are you."

Sparrow blinked in surprise and stared at the woman. "Can you read minds or something?" she asked incredulously and Adrianna laughed.

"Of course not," she insisted, "its just when we left the piano you looked like you really did not want to leave it."

Sparrow grinned in spite of her self and nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I admit it's sorely tempting," she said wistfully, "I have not played one in many years."

"Well then, why don't you?"

"Well, I was going to when you decided to follow me," Sparrow retorted with mock annoyance and Adrianna's eyes twinkled.

"Well I will leave you too it," she said, "Do you remember the way though?"

She tilted her head worriedly and Sparrow gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course, no need to worry about me."

With that Adrianna left her to wonder the halls making furtive glances behind her every now and then. Though the corridor's were empty the she could not fight this feeling that she was being followed. Shaking herself she mentally told her self off for being so silly. When she managed to find her destination she grinned broadly and hoped that no one's sleeping quarters were near as she neared the instrument.

Reaver yawned tiredly his head buzzing gently with the effects of the wine he had been consuming. It was the only thing he had been doing since dinner as the others seemed to intent to converse amongst themselves about Samarkandian matters, which he had absolutely no interest for. He silently wished he had followed Sparrow when he had the chance and berated himself for it. Yet he could not understand his hesitation at the time. Though he did feel he had pushed the boundaries a little back in the baths, but he was only curious. He pouted a little as the vision of Sparrow fleeing left him feeling a little down. He began to chuckle darkly to himself as he made his way through one corridor after another hating himself as he did. One woman, that was a joke in itself, as he Reaver was a man that could woe more than one woman at any given time and yet why does the thought now leave him a bit put off by the notion.

He scoffed loudly. "Don't think about it Reaver ol'boy," he told himself aloud, "it's just a phase you will get through it as soon as all this … nonsense if over."

Yet no matter how many times he told himself this his thoughts always drifted to Sparrow. How different she was and how he seemed so drawn to her despite her not being the type he usually went for. His thoughts always seemed to rest on the last moments in the Tattered Spire as well and how something there, and then caused something inside himself to stir. Make him go stir crazy more like, he thought with a hint of distaste as he past a statue of a nude man entangled in the grasp of a large snake like creature. He looked at it and chuckled awkwardly.

"Know how you feel," he said to it. As he stopped to regard the statue he suddenly realised that he could hear music. He tilted his head as he listened closer the melody tinkling down the corridor to him and with a noise of interest he turned a followed it just to see where it was coming from and who was playing. The melody sounded so sad and lonely, but yet something about it also sounded hopeful as it remained bright though not necessarily cheerful. Even to his untrained ears it sounded like the person playing had little experience with such an instrument as they made a slip up and repeated the notes, but they were confident he gave them that much.

He sighed a little to himself as he yawned again hardly noticing he had left the corridor and entered a hall. He stopped abruptly when he noticed the music was a lot louder and looked around the hall. It was rather dingy lighting wise or so Reaver thought and the only strong light was the stream that fell from the high domed ceiling. Reaver's eyes rested upon the sight in the very centre with a look of astonishment. His green eyes focused on the women sat at something that resembled a thick topped table, but from where he stood he could just make out that she was pressing something that caused the beautiful measure that danced about him.

His eyes rested on Sparrow's visage and smiled despite himself. The light glinted off her hair and to him she really looked angelic as her body swayed in time to the music that her fingers produced as they flew over the keys. He stumbled a little as he leaned languidly against a pillar to watch and he found himself bobbing his head in time to the music. When it came to a halt Sparrow seemed to contemplate to herself her face scrunched slightly as her repeated various notes that had felt off to her. He chuckled when she shivered and looked in his direction.

"Reaver?" she squeaked her eyes suddenly growing wide making her look like a scared deer. He chuckled and stepped up to the podium. Sparrow looked ready to bolt, but as he made to step onto the podium he tripped and stumbled towards her. He grabbed the edge of the piano and she half rose from the stool.

"Um, you ok?" she asked uncertainly and Reaver jumped to his feet his hands moving to fix his hair back into place. He looked down at Sparrow and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"I'm fine dear," he said taking it upon himself to sit next to her and nudge her so she moved. Reluctantly she moved so he could perch on the stool next to her. He was, as always, a lot closer than she was comfortable with as the pirate looked down at the keys of the piano with a confused frown.

"What is this?" he asked and Sparrow stared at him as if he was stupid.

"It's a piano," she explained pressing on one of the white key's down so it rang true. Reaver pressed another and it echoed in harmony with the first note. Reaver looked bemused as he looked up at Sparrow.

"Where did you learn play it?" he went on to ask as he put an arm round her perching the palm of his hand on the stool to support himself. Sparrow shuddered though Reaver did not seem to notice as he stared intently at her face.

"I learnt whilst with the gypsies," she said uncertainly.

"Oh really?" he asked curiously, "care to elaborate?"

Sparrow scowled irritably. "Well," she began, "we were in northern Albion and I got lost, because, well, to be honest, I stole some fruit so I was chased by the guards. I sort refuge in somebodies ware house and the guards lost me, but I had lost my self in the process. I knew if I stayed where I was Theresa would be able to find me anyway (she always seemed to know where I was), so I decided to have a look around and I found one of these in the corner. It did not look as grand as this one mind, but I could not help myself I had to sit and see what it did. Before I knew it I had been in that warehouse for nearly four hours and self taught myself how to play a few of the tunes I learnt on it. I think Theresa did that deliberately you know."

Reaver blinked at her trying to look interested and he shrugged. "I didn't peg you for a musician," he said his hand moving to rest upon her hip. She sighed and gave him a wane smile pushing his hand off and resisting the urge to slap him. Reaver merely slid his hand back into the crevice of her hip making the women sigh irritably.

"Well, the gypsies loved music so it was no small wonder I picked it up," she said leaning away away from him a little.

"So, can you play anything else?"

"Yes, the lute."

"Really? I never bothered learning to play, I never really had the ear for it," he said looking down at the key's of the piano where Sparrow's fingers rested. He suddenly grinned impishly and put a hand over Sparrow's eyes.

"Hey what are you doing?" she demanded trying to peel the fingers from her face.

"Play for me," he whispered in her ear and she scowled.

"How can I play if I can't see the key's?" she asked her voice slightly whiny.

Reaver Laughed. "Just do it come on," he goaded as Sparrow struggled against him.

"But I can't see the keys!"

"Well you remember roughly where they are don't you?"

"Well, yes but..."

"No buts, just do it!"

"Fine," she huffed extending her digits over the keys and took a deep breath. With a grin of triumph Reaver kept one hand over her eyes and the other on her hip so there was no way she could escape. Knowing this made made her feel rather vexed, but it abated some as her fingers traced the keys a discordant and haunting melody filling the room. Though she was relying on her sense of hearing and touch to guide her melody she could not help but let some of the hidden emotion flow through her and into the piano letting it sing the melody of her soul. Reaver watched with a coy smile as her fingers danced from one key to another.

"See that wasn't so hard was it," he commented flippantly and Sparrow scowled as she ended the measure with a long sorrowful note. "Though I would of liked something more cheery."

"Maybe if I felt more cheery," she muttered laying her hands in her lap.

Reaver looked at her face again with an annoyed snort. "Oh heavens sakes Sparrow you have to learn to loosen up a little and have at least a little bit of fun," he said giving her a squeeze.

"Well that's the thing your concept of fun is vastly different mine," she replied looking at the piano.

"Evidently," he muttered with a chuckle, "but its all to the same end." He waggled his eye brows suggestively and she scowled at him.

"Why do you always end up turning everything into a sexual innuendo?" she growled turning slight from him. He merely blinked at her with a thoughtful expression.

"Well I suppose because it annoys you," he said truthfully and she cast him a deathly glare that he ignored, "also I suppose you could call it attention seeking."

"Something tells me you always seek attention," she muttered. He looked at her his lips curled at the edges in amusement.

"Am I that easy to read?" he asked and she chuckled.

"You are very predictable," she said making his eyes widen.

"Moi?"

"Yes, you're a pirate, of course you would be predictable," she said tilting her chin up a little in emphasise.

He laughed out loud. "I'm sorry to disappoint," he suddenly smirked leaning a little closer so the tip of his nose brushed the tip of her ear lobe, "I'm going to have to do better."

Sparrow's eyes narrowed, but to his surprise she did not push him away. "Whatever," she said in a disinterested voice, "not that I see why you would even bother."

Reaver suddenly looked angry, but it soon disappeared as he sighed and his head dropped to rest on her shoulder. Sparrow went rigid with surprise before she relaxed as he nuzzled slightly.

"I don't have to state my reasoning to you," he said in an impertinent tone and yawned.

Sparrow sighed and shook her head. "I hate you, you know."

Reaver nodded. "I know, I hate you too."

"Though your not making it easy," she whispered as she pressed a few of the keys.

"Neither are you," he retorted though it held no menace behind it. Sparrow peered down at him with a strange indecisive smile. She shook her head as silence fell between them and the weight of Reaver's head felt oddly comforting despite her insides were squirming like a multitude of worms decided to take residence in her midsection. Her fingers tapped the keys as Reaver's eyelids slid closed and she growled in annoyance. He looked up with a disjointed chuckle.

"you get wound up too easily..."

"Oh no you don't," she interrupted poking his thigh, he pouted at her and she could not help but chuckle. "Its late we should get back." She pulled down the piano lid to cover the keys from damage and stood while Reaver watched like an expectant puppy. She moved round the stool to leave, but Reaver quickly grabbed her and spun her round so she sat atop of the piano lid. He pinned her hands to it and leaned over her expressionless as she squirmed, her face a mixture of anger and shock.

"What are you doing?" she growled dangerously, but her warning went unheeded as he leant down to kiss the spot just above her heart where the scar sat hidden from view under her blouse before wrapping his arms about her waist and nuzzled her bosom.

"All I wanted was a hug," he whined as he nuzzled tightening his hold and her face flushed angrily.

"Damn it Reaver!" she nearly screeched as her fingers clamped around his ear and she tugged hard. Reaver made a yelp of pain as she dragged him along the corridor her eyes flashing dangerously with Reaver staggering behind her.

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I hope you enjoyed the chapter it has not been easy being so ill, but at least its down. I hope you liked it and I welcome any reviews you may have. ^^


	19. Fall of a Hero

Corban stood just behind the pillar his amber eyes watched the scene before him intently. He had followed Reaver from the study using the excuse that Reaver evidently had few to many judging by the way he slowly stumbled down the corridor. He did not know why he really followed the pirate he was just overcome with the urge. Though he could not help but feel these dark thoughts just at the back of his mind as listened to Sparrow play.

They became all the more prevalent as jealousy seethed through every fibre of his being. Sparrow would not let him get that close even though he had tried. He did admit to himself that Reaver was a bit more bombastic than he was. So full of he own blown up self importance, vanity and self confidence that made Corban feel sick. His jaw clenched when Reaver's hand sneakily clutched at Sparrow's waist.

A slow chill run up his spine and sweat began to lightly trickle down the side of his face. He turned ever so slightly and out of his peripheral vision a dark shape detached itself from the shadow emerging slowly from it like a fish leaping out of water. He shuddered when the familiar mask appeared from the gloom with a pair of orange glowing eyes staring at him. He could tell it was laughing at him by the way it tilted its head. Anger overcame his jealousy and he turned from him trying his best to ignore him.

"Its always the same isn't it," Adren's voice tickled at his ear as he snaked his long thin arms about Corban's torso. Corban made no move to force him off as he stood rigid fear showing in his eyes. The feel of the other's ice like body made his teeth start to chatter. He tried his best to resist the dark feeling that was encompassing him but it surrounded him, choking him of any joy or happiness as if it were sapping him, leaving him feeling empty and cold; much like the body that held him.

"I don't know what you mean," he managed to stammer as Adren rested his chin on Corban's shoulder in a casual manner.

"Oh, I think you do," Adren smirked under his mask, "you just don't seem to have any luck do you."

Corban's face twisted into a silent snarl of anger and his arms made to break the embrace, but Adren proved a lot stronger than Corban had thought and held him tight. A spark of panic flared within him, he was trapped.

"You know what to do, don't you," Adren whispered in the man's ear sending a shudder of fear through his body.

"No... no I don't...I," Adren suddenly squeezed making Corban gasp from surprise and pain.

"Oh yes you do and if you don't, well, I will leave that to your imagination shall I," the fiends voice tainted heavily with malice as he growled the words like a hungry canine. Corban's heart began to race as the implications weighed considerably on his mind. "I will return, don't you worry."

Adren's arms suddenly loosened and he shrunk back into the shadow's leaving Corban feeling cold, and thoroughly depressed. His amber eyes watched as Sparrow dragged Reaver away by his ear, but even seeing that gave no measure of comfort for the Samarkandian as he remained fixed, rooted to the spot. Though he lied about not knowing what Adren meant it still left him fearful and indecisive. He did not want to do anything to harm Sparrow, but that was not what the other meant. A dawning realisation settled upon him as he drew straighter a look of determination on his handsome face as he knew exactly what he had to do.

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The next morning Sparrow fidgeted as she stood upon a low stool while Samarkandian maids fussed about her. She watched, disconcerted, as one women held a length of tape to her figure measuring every part of her body and limbs. Adrianna was sat next to Lorna both watching with amused smiles. The dark skinned woman's eyes twinkled whilst a maid held out a reel of cloth for inspection, which she waved a way with the deft flick of her hand.

"Don't fidget so much dear Sparrow, they will get improper measurements," Adrianna commented with a giggle, "you might end up with it tight in... inappropriate places."

Sparrow scowled at her, which sent Adrianna into a fit of giggles. Lorna sat next to the women looking uncomfortable fidgeting almost as much as Sparrow was. Sparrow sighed and relaxed a little, but nearly jumped off the stool when she felt a prick in her lower back. She spun round and glared at the maid whose face had darkened as she blushed from embarrassment. She apologised profusely, but Sparrow was quick to dismiss it wanting to be out of that place as soon as she could. It made her feel increasing uncomfortable having so many people scurrying around like insects just to make her one dress. It was not that she did not appreciate the gesture so that she can have something for this festival, but she could not help thinking how unnecessary it was.

An elderly women stood not to far from her pointing and yelling at her younger staff who zoomed about trying to do what she was telling them to do. The old women stopped and regarded Sparrow mildly when she sensed the woman was staring then gave Sparrow a warm smile.

"We make nice dress for you," she said evident that she knew little of Albionese.

"Um, thank you," Sparrow replied and looked to Adrianna pleadingly. Adrianna giggled as the old woman spoke with her about something as two others brought over two reels of fabric. One was a rich red scarlet whilst the other was a pale yellow that looked almost beige. Upon seeing it Sparrow grimaced and hoped that it was not the colour of her dress. To her relief Adrianna shook her head and pointed at one reel that was being carried away calling for the young servant that held it to come back. Sparrow watched with sudden interest as Adrianna was shown a reel of fabric that was a vibrant aquamarine colour. Sparrow felt her spirits lift upon seeing it and a small smile graced her lips. Adrianna seemed pleased and nodded her head then looked to Sparrow with a huge smile.

"I am so glad I fixed that problem before something dreadful happened," she said linking her fingers in a business like manner.

"Problem?" Sparrow asked feeling worried again.

"Oh yes, it turns out Reaver asked that your outfits will be matching," she said in a helpful voice. The surprise nearly made Sparrow fall off the stool.

"Matching!?" Sparrow demanded angrily while Lorna giggled manically.

"Oh yes, but I noticed and believe me that pale yellow would clash terribly with your skin," she said sounding mildly horrified, "Though I agree the red does suit you I can't help feeling the other colour would do well and match your eyes."

She smiled warmly and Sparrow sighed despite herself suddenly feeling grateful. However, why would Reaver want matching outfits. Her mood darkened a little at the thought of what people would think. Given assumptions made already it would be no surprise what people would think.

"Reaver must really like you," Adrianna suddenly said with a wistful causing Sparrow to grow stiff with surprise.

"You what?"

"Well, if Reaver requested that your outfits would be matching," the woman said with the wave of her hand, "I just thought..."

"Well you're wrong," Sparrow hastily interrupted.

"Am I?" Adrianna's tone sounded surprised though her eyes appeared pensive and she smiled, "well he seems to go to an awful lot of trouble..."

"Yeah to annoy the hell out of me," Sparrow scowled, "That man is pretentious, vain, selfish, sex crazed, impatient, arrogant, cunning,verbose..."

"Charming and handsome," Adrianna added and Sparrow shot her a dark look, "wh-hat its true." Adrianna looked down at Lorna who nodded.

"He also is generous," Lorna added. Sparrow did not want to hurt the child's feeling but she could not help but burst out laughing. The thought of Reaver being generous to any one was preposterous. Lorna pouted and added, "but only to you and me."

Sparrow stopped laughing and looked at the girl pointedly. "Alright, when was he ever generous? I have known the man for nearly six years and at no point has he been generous."

"Depending on what you mean by generous," Adrianna added with a wicked grin.

"Thank you Adrianna," a muscle in Sparrow's cheek twitched. She did not have to be terribly intelligent to figure what she meant by that.

Lorna became thoughtful as her eyes trailed to the ring on Sparrow's hand. "Well," she began pointing at the woman's hand, "the ring."

Sparrow blinked and looked at it her eyes widening. Her gaze turned down to look at the other two with pursed lips suddenly feeling rather guilty and rather confused as her cheeks flushed a faint pink.

"He, that pirate, he bought it?" she demanded uncertainly. Lorna nodded firmly.

"I know, I saw him buy it," she said while Adrianna watched quietly a small smile on her lips.

"Well, what do you know, more than just generous with his time it would seem," she commented as she rose gracefully from her chair and approached someone that Sparrow had not noticed to look at what seemed like a board with parchment. The male servant seemed to be scribbling on it with some sort of stylus, which Sparrow surmised, with a faint blush, was used to draw a portrait of her. Adrianna seemed pleased by the artists results and the young man stood up with a bow a pleased grin on his face.

He pottered away to where the fabric had disappeared through an open portal as Adrianna approached Sparrow. She smiled again and beckoned the woman to her.

"Its okay you can come down now," she said and Sparrow jumped down with a sigh of relief. "Now we go to see my father, he wants a word with you apparently."

"Is that so," she looked at the Samarkandian woman questioningly as Lorna handed her, her jacket, which she slipped on.

"I don't really know, maybe he just wants to get to know his guests better."

Sparrow shrugged and reluctantly followed Adrianna out into the corridor. Lorna trotted by Sparrow's side as Yi fluttered about her head. Sparrow walked side by side with Adrianna as they talked. Even as she tried to put it out of her mind her fingers kept fiddling with the ring. She had not had such an expensive present before and the fact that pirate had bought did not help the matter. It confused her and annoyed. She shook her head trying to put the thought aside and hopefully forget anything was mentioned.

"So, where is Reaver?" Adrianna asked as she inclined her head to a passing individual.

"Don't know, don't really care to be honest," Sparrow replied airily, "he had left early, surprisingly."

Adrianna nodded. "What about Garth?" she suddenly said after a silent moment.

"Garth?" Sparrow blinked at her and shrugged, "I think he is investigating your fathers library."

Sparrow suddenly laughed. "He is probably hiding in it. He seemed to be suffering from with drawl symptoms. Plus he doesn't really seem a huge people person."

Sparrow looked at the women out of the corner of her eye as Adrianna walked along looking pensive.

"Why do you ask?"

Adrianna tilted her head causing her hair curls to bounce lightly against her shoulder.

"No reason."

They grew silent again as Morzai's Chamberlain approached his large paunch jiggling as he waddled down the corridor. Adrianna flashed Sparrow a cheeky smile and they both giggled. Lorna looked up questioningly though she had not been paying attention as she walked along in a dazed fashion. The Chamberlain beckoned them to follow seeming intent that they visit the Grand Chief at once. Sparrow, out of politeness obliged despite her reluctance.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Reaver took a deep breath of the cool air and grinned. A new day in a new place and it thrilled him. Of all the aspects of adventuring seeing new places and new things was the most worth while part of the ordeal. Yes it may be troublesome to have companions such as his, that did not let him do much of anything, it was still enjoyable to see what was just over the horizon. He was, however, glad to be out of that palace. He had long since had his measurements taken for a customised suit for the festivities the next day and decided it was time to take to the streets.

He ambled down the long stretch of road with confidence in his steps as he smiled round at everyone he met. He was merely on the scout today with the intent of finding out as much as he could about this place sat in a niche of rock and sand. As he wandered he did get a sense of cleanliness and order. He noted that there were guards posted on almost every corner of nearly every street. Maybe Morzai is paranoid, he thought to himself as he gave a passing young woman and her mother a surreptitious wink. The resulting giggles caused the pirate to grin wider and he turned down a narrow street.

He meandered for what seemed hours and everything just seemed far to orderly. Even in the tinier more darkened streets seemed far to good to be true. The perfect city, he thought with a grimace as he passed what appeared to be a tavern. He looked up at the sky where the sun had now reached its highest point, he then realised how hungry he was as he had not eaten since earlier that morning and it was rather sparing meal. With a shrug he entered head held high as he passed through the wooden door. Inside was much like everywhere had been, clean and orderly. The reoccurring theme was starting to nauseate him greatly. He gazed round the large room with a disinterested expression and took a seat at one table hidden in the corner. It seemed that round the edge of the room where booth like sections where people could eat their meals in peace with out fear of interruption or intrusion. He liked this idea greatly as he smirked.

A short dumpy Samarkandian women approached him and the sight made him glad he was immortal. She was wrinkly like rumbled cloth and parts of her were sagging unpleasantly even if she had the decency to cover up. Reaver smiled wanly as the women proceeded to narrate the whole of the taverns drinks and foods menu in a stringent high pitched voice. Reaver winced and ordered a simple meal with the best wine on the menu. He sighed with relief as she left taking with her the painful reminder of his own age. She soon returned shortly after with a carafe of ruby red wine and a simple wooden goblet. Reaver looked at it with a hint of disdain pinching his cheeks as he poured a sizeable amount of liquid into it. As he raised the goblet to his face he took a long whiff of the wines fruity yet bitter fragrance and hummed with pleasure. He then took a sip savouring the explosion of flavours as they sifted round his mouth before he finally swallowed, an appreciative smile on his lips.

As he sat there he became aware of girlish giggling and as he swept his green orbs around the room he saw a group of women sat huddled round a table. They evidently were having one of those types of chats by the covert way they whispered to each other and Reaver grinned. He watched for a moment choosing his timing wisely, but as he made to get up something stopped him. He growled in deep frustration as he looked down at the shadow that sat twiddling its thumbs in the seat next to him. The shadow Reaver looked at him and did a double take seeing his dark glare. He shrugged defensively causing Reaver to scowl. When his food was brought to him he gave the maid a sweet smile, picked up the implement used for food and repeatedly stabbed his shadow to release his frustration only managing to ruin the wooden bench. The shadow silently screamed at the pirate waving his fists at Reaver in a soundless threat before it huffed, crossing its arm in a sulk.

Reaver rolled his eyes as he picked at the noodles all enthusiasm he had now lost as he looked over to the girls forlornly. He sighed managing to pass a few of the long strings to his mouth suddenly feeling quite lonely despite the shadow that gestured obscenely at him whilst he was not looking. He did not care though and simply ignored his own shadow.

There was a clatter as couple of young men walked in, no more than 15 by Reaver's judge and a storm of giggles rained from the other side of the room. The pirate chuckled as the two boys seated in the booth in front of his. When they were settled they began to chat and Reaver half listened and by the looks of it his shadow was listening too.

-Why do they always do that?- one boy asked his companion with a hint of annoyance.

-They're girls what do you expect?- the other countered his tone hinting with amusement.

-I mean every time they see me they go into a fit of hysterical giggles-

-Correction not hysterical, girly giggles- Reaver was heavily reminded of Sparrow with that new friend of hers and without knowing it a flash of jealousy flared making his mouth go dry, so he reached for his goblet.

There was a pause and a snort of laughter erupted. -Carun that sounds stupid-

-Its true though, but maybe there is another reason why they giggle like that-

-What possible reason could there be?- the boys tone was incredulous and Reaver knew before the other even replied what the answer was.

-Maybe one of them likes you and she admitted it to the rest of her little airhead friends- Carun said and the bench creaked as someone moved their position. -Look see Maryl, she keeps looking at you all coy like-

There was a long pause before Carun's friend replied uncertainly. -You... you think?-

There was a small laugh. -Don't tell me you like her too?-

-What!? No! Maryl and me don't get along at all... like Genali beasts and Ginrul Fowl- there was another pause, -How can you tell a girl likes you though-

There was a thoughtful hum before Carun answered. -Well, for a start you say you and Maryl don't get a long right?-

-so-

-Well, girls sometimes do that to hide their feelings, because, you know cos their scared of you rejecting them. The same with guys. I pick on Lenessha because I like her- Carun explained.

-But that can just mean they hate a person, doesn't always mean they like you.-

-It is a lot more complicated than that I admit- Carun said -but, just watch and she will giving you the 'eye' as I call it.-

-I don't get it-

There was an evident sigh of frustration before Carun began again. -Okay, let me explain with a story-

-Oh man here we go!-

-Hey! you're a dick man this time its relevant,- Reaver snorted quietly with amusement as he listened closer this time though he could not think of any other reason to eaves drop except he was bored. -Well, when my mother died my dad liked to tell stories about her as a way to ease the pain of her passing-

-Yeah, she was beautiful your mother-

There was a heavy pause before a -What!?- filtered back before Carun continued.

-Do you mind I'm trying to relate a story with out you having fantasies about my mother you sick pervert!!-

Reaver clapped his gloved hand about his mouth trying not laugh out loud as another pause hung in the air.

-Sorry-

-Thank you-

-Won't happen again-

-Glad to hear it-

-But she was hot-

-One more comment and I swear Fennel I will punch you- Carun growled -thats better now can I continue, 'sigh' thankyou. Well my parents met when my mother came from some place called Hastana far to the north. For father it was love at first sight, but being the prideful man he was he could never admit it and the same with my mother. In many ways they were more alike than they would have admitted and yet completely different. Anyway, they fought almost all the time and arguments were rife and once mother punched him through the wall of the Ginrul Tail tavern just up the road.-

-No way!- There was a laugh, -No wonder one wall looks newer than the others-

-Yeah that's true, but apparently they admitted their feelings amidst one of these fights and he said it was the best night of his life- There was a rueful chuckle.

-I bet-

-I thought I told you...-

-Sorry, sorry, please continue.-

-Well... that's when my Father gave a piece of advice that I will never forget, when you find someone you have to decide if they are for a season or for life. By that I mean, you will have women and they may come and they may go, but there is always one that you will think yeah I want to be with this women for the rest of my life. No matter how painful the result may be, even with the case of my Father, he did not regret the time he spent with the women he loved the most.-

Reaver rested the fork like implement on the plate and sighed. Why was he listening to this claptrap it was a load of bullshit anyway. That was what he kept trying to tell himself, but why did the words seem to stick. He looked down at the shadow who was watching with a pensive posture and it looked at Reaver with a shrug.

-Since then Father has not had another women even though I have encouraged him to do so, because I thought he was lonely- Carun explained, -But he always says 'I am never lonely as long as I have you and memories of your mother'-

-Wow, that's some deep thinking there Carun-

-No kidding, when my father first told me this stuff my head hurt-

There was a laugh, which turned into a thoughtful pause.

-I admire your Father- Fennel said and a chuckle followed.

-Thanks- Carun's tone sounded appreciative.

-For getting a women that was such a catch- Fennel laughed nervously and there was a creak as furniture was moved scraping across the stone floor -Hey I was joking, I was Joking-

-You better had be!- was the growled response.

Reaver had enough and got up throwing a small pouch of gold on the table. His insides seethed with anger as he passed the table and stopped to stare at the two young men who were scuffling in the booth. They both stopped to stare at Reaver in surprise and the pirate grunted sourly, but no matter how angry he was looking at the two young faces made his hand falter as it rose to his hip.

"You know, a few years ago I would have shot you … both of you," with that he turned and stalked from the tavern leaving two very confused boys.

-What he say?- Fennel asked his friend looking after the pirate.

-I dunno I thought you were the one taking foreign languages?- Fennel cast Carun a dark glare before they started scuffling again.

Reaver continued his irritated pace until he began to puff a little from the effort. He told him self off vehemently for letting the words of two children get to him so much. That begged the question as to why it got to him in such a way. His only conclusion was that since meeting the likes of Sparrow and Garth he had gone soft, and allowed himself to be susceptible to these things. When this whole thing was over he will have to shoot them all. Well, maybe not Lorna because not even he would shoot a child, but then who would look after her and she will hate him, maybe even seek revenge on him for killing Sparrow. Why would he even care anyway. He sighed in frustration as he thoughts continued like this roaming round and round with no sign of stopping. He stopped beside a post with signs on it pointing in various directions. He looked down the road towards the palace and debated whether or not it was a good idea to go back now or continue wondering.

"REAVER!!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs and Reaver jumped his eyes threatening to pop from his skull as he whirled round removing his pistol in one swift, and graceful movement. He stared at the old man who had collapsed with laughter at the shocked expression on the Pirate's face.

Reaver quickly composed himself and re-holstered the Dragon Stomper before turning on the old man his face dark with fury.

"I could of shot you, you stupid old man!" he scolded fiercely both hands planted on his hips as he stared down at Oota who was just unfurling himself. He stared at Reaver whilst bubbles of laughter still escaped his lips.

"Hi Reaver," he said finally straightening himself. Reaver glared and huffed with a small pout.

"That was not funny!" he demanded and Oota shook his head.

"Yeah it was," he replied clapping the taller man round the shoulder. Reaver growled irritably and turned to stalk off, but the old man managed to keep pace with the long rolling strides evidence that the Pirate had spent many a season at sea.

"Hey Reaver, stop a minute."

"Why should I?"

"Well I can't talk to you whilst wheezing breathlessly."

Reaver came to a halt and rounded on the small man with his arms crossed defensively and eyes flashing dangerously.

"Tell me what you want before I really will shoot you."

Oota raised his hands defensively as he slowly caught his breath. "I was just going to say you look like you need to relax some."

Reaver's eyebrow rose questioningly as Oota continued. "Well I was hoping to claim on that appointment," the old man said rubbing his hands enthusiastically a silly grin on his face.

Reaver frowned in confusion. What appointment? He sought through his mind before realising what it was he had in his back pack back his room in the palace. His face became a light as he grinned wickedly.

"Oh yes, well, I can't say no to a gentlemen such as your self," he replied placing a hand on Oota's shoulder and leading him slowly towards the palace. "I need a good lift."

"I'm with you there this place is depressing," Oota said with a grimace, "No life, no... well anything."

"I'm with you there," Reaver agreed as he looked up at the palace with a sigh.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The afternoon had gone surprisingly quickly for Sparrow as she sat in a comfortable armchair with a goblet of wine in one hand and Lorna snuggled on her lap and up under her chin. Adrianna was sat to her left nearest the fire as they chatted aimlessly with Morzai, who sat opposite face cast slightly in shadow created by the fires warm glow.

It had been pleasant just being able to chat and recount old stories to those who had not heard them before. Morzai sat and listened with a friendly expression, but even though he spoke in pleasant tones and smiled genuinely she could not help feel this underlying 'something' that bothered her. She waved it aside determined to enjoy the peace as it had been along time she had been this comfortable and she planned to enjoy for however long it lasts.

"Sounds like you had quite the childhood," Morzai commented with a grin and raised his crystal goblet to his lips.

Sparrow laughed and nodded. "I guess I did, Theresa would never admit it, but she was quite imaginative," she chuckled as Lorna yawned quietly against her.

"I wish I could of met this Hammer, she sounds such fun," Adrianna said with a wistful sigh. Morzai shot her a dark glance, which was more like that of a concerned father, but he said nothing as Adrianna giggled. "Why didn't she come with you on this quest?"

Sparrow smiled sadly as her head tilted considering the question and her thoughts drifted.

"Well, she went north... quite a long ways north in fact," she said swirly the last drop of her wine before consuming it, "She wanted to go study with a group of monks to learn how to curb the violence in her heart." She put the glass aside with a sigh and snuggled closer to Lorna.

"You miss her greatly," Adrianna noted leaning on her hand thoughtfully.

"Yes, she was my first true friend and was like a surrogate sister in a way," Sparrow laughed, "even though we were the same age."

"Then she would be your nakuna," Adrianna said with grin.

Sparrow looked towards the young woman with a light frown. "What is a nakuna?"

"Well, nakuna are those friends or comrades that are very close and are almost like family," she smiled sadly, "I think you understand what I mean."

Sparrow chuckled and nodded. "I think I do."

Lorna gently tugged on Sparrow's blouse and the woman looked down where the girl looked up with her large mauve eyes. Sparrow patted her head and nodded looking up at Morzai with a sad smile.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, but it looks like its a bit late," she said as she stood cradling the tired girl in her arms.

Morzai waved his hand dismissively. "Its fine, she has lasted quite well considering."

Sparrow chuckled and nodded turning to leave as Adrianna jumped to her feet.

"I will walk you down the hall I think and go to bed my self," she she trotted over to her father and planted an affectionate kiss upon his cheek, "Good night father." She then trotted out after Sparrow leaving the man to contemplate beside the fire as something stirred in the shadows behind and he sighed.

When Adrianna left them at the intersection of corridors Sparrow ambled back to her room with Lorna cradled in her arms and was snoozing away clutching her blouse. Sparrow looked down at her peaceful face and as always a small tender smile graced her lips. She hugged the little girl closer and nuzzled her soft hair. She noted that Lorna had grown a bit and the thought made her grin with maternal pleasure. As she got to her room a strange smell wafted from under the door and giggles could be heard from inside. Sparrow's eye twitched as her free hand grasped the door knob and with a quick twist she shouldered it open so it swung slowly inwards. She gasped when her eyes fell upon the two inside the room and slowly her eyes narrowed to flinty slits her face stoic.

Oota stopped whatever he was doing and looked up at Sparrow who stood in the doorway his hand poised over a strange contraption sat upon a side table. Reaver was lain partially on the bed with half of his body hanging off the side where his hair brushed the floor. His face was blank as he stared into space with a thin line of drool trailing from the corner of his mouth and down the side of his face. Oota stared at her for a moment before letting out a snort and a storm of fresh giggles issued from the old man. Sparrow marched straight passed them and kicked her bedroom door open before disappearing. Oota blinked groggily and shrugged continuing to poke a thin stick into the contraption giggling like an idiot.

"What in Albion is going on," she snapped when she reappeared and Oota looked up wide eyed. Reaver however did not even flinch as she stalked round the bed pointing a rigid finger at him.

"How long has he been like that!" she snapped again and Oota shrugged.

"Um, a while... half hour maybe, I don't even remember," he shrugged poking the contraption.

Sparrow let out a worried cry as she rushed to the limp man and hefted him onto the bed with ease.

"You idiot, that's dangerous!!" she chided sharply and Oota merely stared at her as if the words were washing right over him failing to sink in. Sparrow rounded on the man her face as dark as thundercloud and Oota cowered into his seat true fear shone in his eyes as his mouth disappeared into his beard. Her eyes coldly held him with a glare that would turn the most courageous people to jelly leaving his a quivering lump. The icy blue orbs slid to the contraption and inside a transparent bulb were lumps of small grey crystalline like stones that smoked as heat caused them to literally bake inside. The smoke slowly curled upwards were two spouts sprouted from the contraption. Upon seeing them she knew exactly what they were and the orbs slid back to Oota who held up the stick, one end charred, as if it were going to protect him. Her left hand raised slowly and reached out for the contraption intending to grab it.

Realising what she was going to do Oota shot up in his seat. "Wait! Its blistering hot!"

She ignored his warnings and grabbed the bulb and crushed it in her hand as a hiss rose from the shards of glass as it seared her flesh. Oota gasped listening to the cracking and grinding of the glass as she tightened her grip small droplets of blood dripping onto the stone floor. Her eyes turned back to Oota who immediately shot out of his seat and ran out the door before a string of lightening narrowly missed his speeding heels.

"DO THIS AGAIN AND YOU WON'T GET OFF AS LIGHTLY!!" She shouted down the hallway and she slammed the door behind her with enough force to send tremors through the stone wall. She looked down at her burnt and cut hand she cursed. She began to ideally pick shards of glass from her hand as she approached the bed. Reaver had roused slightly and looked over at her on coming form with a hint of surprise.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a slow voice as his hand wiped the drool from his face, "Why is my face wet?"

He shrugged and slumped to the bed again with a huge yawn. He had not noticed the cold glare the woman had given him as she stood over him wrapping a piece of cloth about her hand. She suddenly grabbed him roughly by the front of his tunic and lifted him easily from the bed. With half hearted protests he struggled, but he gave up as she kicked open the doors to the balcony allowing the air to filter out the smoke that had accumulated. With that she dragged him over to the basin on the other side of the room, which she filled from a tap above the sink and brought the pirate to his feet. All the while he watched with mild interest even as she held him upright. With a great effort he kept his legs straight enough to stand, but if it were not for the arm that supported him, he would have toppled backwards. She tested the water with a finger and nodded to herself before grabbing the back of Reaver's hair and forced his head into the water. Reaver went rigid with shock until his sense's caught up to him and he began to thrash causing water to cascade noisily all over the floor. Sparrow however inspected her finger nails with a nonchalant expression before pulling him back upright where he gasped and sputtered. He turned slightly to stare at Sparrow with an attempted glare, but it soon left his face as his skin paled. He had never seen such a deadly looking expression even though her face was calm and blank her eyes were nearly white with such fury that even Reaver could feel a cold shiver run up his spine. It was then he felt almost powerless. Like a rabbit caught in the jaws of a predator that wanted nothing more than to snap its neck with its teeth.

"Sparrow! You'd over reacting it was only..."

Wordlessly she plunged him back into the water and he realised he was completely at her mercy. With out his gun and in his current state there was no way he could fight Sparrow without being beaten half to death, but as he was pulled back up gasping for air he looked at her face. Was this really Sparrow?

"Please, your going to kill me!"

She looked over his face and a muscle in her cheek twitched.

"And, what if I did kill you? No one would miss your miserable existence," she replied her voice calm and deliberate.

"That's not true!" he protested as she plunged his face back into the water. His knees buckled under his weight as a weakness overcame him. She yanked him up by his hair so he stood uncertainly on his feet. Reaver's chest rose and fell as his breathing became ragged with effort, and she looked at him almost sadly.

"Isn't it," she said after a moment, "You know I tried being nice, I even went as far to think that maybe... just maybe you of all people could change. I kept thinking what if... I was all willing to give you a second chance no matter what you had done to me." Her voice sounded strained as she spoke and turning away from him she flung the Pirates limp body across the room. He tumbled and rolled before slamming with surprise force into the glass, which shuddered under the impact but did not relent. He looked up as she stood leaning on the basin as if it were a mere effort to keep her self standing. He did not move as the sound of her voice rung in his ears and a pang of guilt made his stomach cramp. He knew this would eventually happen, but what surprised him was that he did not even want to fight back. He was all willing to let her hurt him, beat him within an inch of his life. It all came down to the fact he knew his life was nothing but a sham, a shambolic mess of sin, corruption and greed.

She turned with agonising slowness to face him and she took a few steps towards him and when she was standing a few feet away she stared down at him with a pitying look. Reaver could feel the anger seethe through his body and his teeth clenched so hard his cheek muscles ached. He hated people looking down at him, but even so he refused to look up staring at her feet as if they were more interesting.

"So... you going to kill me here and now?" he asked in a weak voice, "after all that has happened in the last few months?"

He summoned up enough courage to peer up at her from under his limp hair, but her expression was unreadable as she looked down upon him. Her mouth opened as if to say something, but she froze her eyes widening in shock before a gush of blood exploded from her back raining crimson droplets all over the stone floor. She let out a gasp as she slowly toppled forwards before landing face first upon the floor with a dull thud.

Frozen in shock, Reaver stared at the lifeless form a different kind of fear encasing him. "Sparrow?" his weak voice was trembling as he shifted, leaning forward with his hand reaching out towards her still body, "Sparrow!?" His tone was more urgent as he made to crawl, but he stopped with one hand hovering in mid-air. A hiss made him look up from Sparrow and at what sat on her back with its head swaying in mid-air. Its long black snake-like body was coiled into a loose spiral whilst its beady red eyes fixed Reaver with a stare. Its head was what made the pirate stare as it resembled more like a pick axe than that of a snake with its small eyes on either side. It let out another hiss when Reaver made to move but he froze again. He regarded the snake with dark scowl so he he moved the hand stuck in mid-air ever so slightly, but the gaze remained fixed on Reaver's face and he cursed.

With out warning the snake suddenly lunged and Reaver fell back with a cry scrunching his eyes tight shut, but nothing happened. Fortifying his resolve he opened his eyes until they were wide like saucers. The snake writhed in agony as Sparrow's stony grip held it tight by the end of the tail. A trickle of blood ran down her chin as she coughed and sputtered on the floor. Her blue eyes stared at Reaver as she panted with effort, but with amazing speed the snake whipped round and struck Sparrow hard on the back of the hand with the end of its sharp nose. She let loose a ragged scream of pain and rage as the snake shook its head to get its nose loose causing more damage with blood pooling about the wound. She growled like an angry dog as she eased her self into a kneeling position. Her lips twisted into an nasty snarl she gripped the snake and ripped its from her hand sending a spurt of dark blood onto the floor where it seeped into the crimson liquid. Reaver watched haplessly as the snake hissed angrily and bit her repeatedly on the arm. The woman screamed finally letting go as the agony grew to much for her and the snake took the momentary weakness to slid quickly about her neck where it squeezed hard biting her cheek over and over again with razor sharp teeth that tore at her cheek like a hot knife through butter..

Reaver managed to break himself out of his reverie with an exclamation and grabbed the snake trying with all his strength to wrench it from her. The door suddenly crashed open and Garth came running in staring at the pair struggling with the snake. Blood covered the floor and Sparrow gasped for breath her face turning an unhealthy shade of blue.

"What happened?" he demanded, but Reaver merely shouted at him to help. The mage came to a sliding halt by them and grabbed the snake his muscles shuddering with the effort of trying to pry the snake from her. The snake continued it onslaught the blood from its multitude of bites gushing from the wounds and disappearing into her dark hair.

Servants began to filter into the room to see what was happening their screams alerting the guards that came clattering down the hall but no blade or magic could damage the creature as it screamed and hissed at its attackers. Sparrow suddenly lay limp her hands that grasped the snake slowly fell to the floor motionless and a scream tore from Reaver's throat. The door to the adjoining bedroom opened and in the darkness a pair of bright mauve eyes fixed the scene with horror and agony. There was a piercing wail and a violent pulse knocked everyone off their feet. Lorna rushed over to Sparrows limp form and the snake, sensing her approach, uncoiled itself and lunged for Lorna who watched with tears streaking down her cheeks. The snake let out a terrifying scream as it burst into flame and landed in the pool of blood hissing and writing as it slowly burnt to death disintegrating to nothing.

Lorna knelt by Sparrow's motionless body shaking and trembling as tears ran down her cheeks in streams. Her sobs and weeping were buried in the woman's chest as the girl flung herself on top of Sparrow calling her name. Garth stared in shock as the whole incident flashed before him in a blur and he flinched as Reaver crawled over to the woman quivering in shock. He stopped and looked down at the ghostly white face incomprehensibly before staring at his blood stained hands. His sight blurred as his shoulders shook. A long forgotten emotion he thought buried deep began to bubble to the surface like red hot lava, but he was too weak fight it back down. Before he knew it a tear streaked down his cheek the very thing he thought that dried up long ago ran fresh and true. He curled himself into a ball his hands clutching at his head letting all his guilt and despair flow through his tears as he quietly wept into his knees. Just moments ago she was angry at him, but somehow saved him. Why? Why would she do that?

There was a parting in the crowd as Corban fought his way through and he stopped. He stared down at the pool of blood and whom lay in it. His face flushed before it drained completely of colour leaving his dark skin looking sickly. He shook his head as if denying what he was seeing before turning and fleeing as fast as his long legs could carrying him. Garth watched him with pity as he stood slowly, but even as he tried to speak no sound escaped him. The servants looked upon Sparrow with shock and for many tears stained their dark cheeks as the despondent atmosphere affected them deeply.

_It wasn't supposed to be her!! Not her!! _Corban's thoughts screamed as he charged down the silent corridor flying past unsuspecting servants on their nightly duties. _It was meant to be him, how could this happen!?_ _Its all my fault! _He kept running as his thoughts left him feeling dead and a hollow laugh echoed tauntingly behind him.

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I really apologise for not updating in a while, but a when things happen it all happens at once. Or so says Murphy's Law anyway(otherwise know as Sod's law). I hope I made up for it with this meaty chapter. I did plan on posting two at the same time but that didn't happen.

Nakuna is actually a rendition of an actual Japanese word, Nakama, which has the same meaning as I used here. I came across it when reading Bleach (such a worth while Manga to read X3) and liked it so I included it.

I would also like to that all those who reviewed previous it is so encouraging to hear your comments and thanks I am feeling much better now thanks to my magic nasal spray lols.

Now I leave you to consider whether Sparrow is really dead or not and cookies and kudos to who ever figures it out right lol, so read and review please. If there is any problems people have spotted too please don't hesitate to tell me. The next one will be along shortly.


	20. Only the Pirate Can Save Her

Lorna could not believe her eyes. Her Sparrow was taken down by a mere animal, a mere snake. Her small body shuddered as her breathing came in gasps struggling to control her laboured sobs. She looked up at Garth who was standing above her with down cast eyes. She looked to Reaver who was curled in a ball beside Sparrow's body though no sound came from him. Her bottom lip quivered and she nuzzled the woman's belly as fresh tears began to trail down her cheeks. She could not hear any heart beat. That once soothing sound was gone and yet. Lorna blinked and her breath caught in her throat. What was this feeling. She managed to straighten herself and looked down at Sparrow's white face. Her small hand reached towards it her lips parting slightly.

"Ma... mama?" her hands touched the cold flesh of the woman's cheeks. "Mama?" There is was again that unmistakeable feeling like a small spark of energy so small it was barely noticeable. Lorna's eyes widened as a feeling of hope exploded in her chest. She began to scream Mama repeatedly shaking Sparrow, but there was still no response. The flicker of spirit was fading fast and she knew she had to do something or it will disappear completely.

"Come on damn it I know your still there," she screamed smacking her fists on the woman's stomach, but the firm muscle remained rigid. A rustle made her look over to Reaver who glared from the darkness of between his arms. Lorna could barely see the redness, but the anger in them was unmistakable as he glared at her.

"What are you doing?" he demanded his voice course.

"She's still there!" Lorna cried pointing the woman's face. "I can feel it, her spirit is still there, but its small. We Have to do something!"

"What are you talking about, I know a dead body when I see one!" he said coldly. She responded with an angry growl and returned to screaming Mama repeatedly refusing with all her being that Sparrow would disappear. She squeaked when a pair of strong hands grabbed her arms to stop them from pounding the dead flesh before her. She whimpered and more tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"Lorna just stop already," Garth said in a chocked voice

"Mama please," she pleaded scrunching her eyes tight, the spark was was so much smaller now, "Don't disappear, don't... don't disappear. Mama don't disappear because I love you Mama!"

Nothing happened as Sparrow's still form remained frozen and her white skin glistened in the low light. Admitting defeat Lorna slumped hanging limp from the mage's hands as a storm of fresh weeping escaped her. Adrianna suddenly came rushing in at that point and when she saw what lay before her her knees buckled as she neared the bed, her face mirroring shock and pain.

"What happened?" she gasped as she held onto the bed post her knuckles turning white with the strain of her grip. Garth made to answer but no sound formulated apart from a soft gasp. His mind was still trying to catch up with itself as the scene rolled in slow motion in his minds eye. He could barely comprehend the fact a snake was able to bring down the strongest women he had ever known. He managed to peel his eyes away from the body and looked down at Reaver who was scrunched in a tight ball silent as stone. He shook his head steeling himself as he began giving orders to the servants that hovered about the entrance way, though his voice was wavering and hoarse it nevertheless remained strong as the servants managed to tear themselves away. They slowly filed out in a procession leaving behind them a somber and mournful atmosphere.

Garth waved to Adrianna who slowly tiptoed around the pool of blood her eyes scanning Sparrow and Garth picked up Lorna, then handed her over to the small women who with awkward difficulty took her. He neared the body and laid his hand across her forehead. His eyes widened as his senses searched and found exactly what Lorna had been saying, the brief and smallest of spiritual essences. He berated himself for not noticing, but he knew that his senses had grown dull due to his grief. He sighed heavily and looked over at Reaver before standing. A familiar presence entered and he looked up to see Oota who looked down at the body gravely.

"Hmm, it would seem it has happened," he said with a sigh and Garth gave him an odd look.

"You knew this would happen?" he asked incredulously anger suddenly filling him.

"I had an inkling that a Dorankas was in our midst, but I had not the opportunity to find it," he explained as he regarded Garth seriously, "though I admit that whoever was hiding it, hid it very well as I could not pin point it properly."

"A Dorankas!!" Garth's voice rose a few octaves in his shock.

Adrianna peered at the two men curiously with a confused frown. "What is that?"

Garth turned to look at her his mouth going dry as he tried to formulate the words.

"Dorankas is supposed to be a myth," he began, "they were said to live in the darkest of shadows and hid in the form of a stone to surprise its prey. Its constricting ability is said to be almost impossible to comprehend and its venom ..." He suddenly paused a fresh wave of panic coursing through him as he turned to Oota. "Good god! We have to hurry. She only has 12 hours before... before..."

Oota held up a finger and Garth immediately fell silent. "Correction it is not venom."

"It's a snake of course it would be venom," Garth replied angrily, "it wouldn't be poison as the elements are distinctly different."

Adrianna tilted her head as she cradled Lorna in her arms. "What's the difference?"

"Well, the two have different properties. Where the poison attacks muscles, venom attacks the nervous system and often breaks down the muscle tissue," Garth explained without taking his eyes off of Oota, "if it isn't venom then what is it?"

Oota stepped aside as two servants entered carrying a litter between them and he ordered them to take Sparrow to clean her body then return her to his quarters down the hall. When they left with the woman's body he turned back to Garth his dark eyes intense.

"It is a parasite," he stated firmly. Garth gave the old man a scathing look and shook his head.

"It can't be," Garth replied adamantly. Oota replied with a chuckle as a few more servants entered retrieving items and cleaning the mess working around Reaver's still form.

"My dear boy," he said with infuriating calmness, "how do you think some creatures reproduce."

The mage's eyes widened. "What, are you saying that she has become a host to that snake's young!?" he cried pointing to the door, his eyes scanned the floor in a searching manner as he organised his thoughts, "How... how are we supposed to get rid of it if that is indeed the case!?"

Oota looked at the servants thoughtfully as he stepped round them nearing Reaver's bed beginning to search through a pack that was on the floor beside it.

"Well, it's simple, but difficult," he finally said after a moments silence, "I just count our lucky stars we already have what we need on us."

Garth looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we will have to perform a special ritual for it, very ancient, very ancient," he said straightening and juggling a pouch in his hand. He turned to look at Garth with a mysterious smile and the mage regarded the old man uncertainly as Oota approached him holding out the pouch. "And we will need this."

Garth looked at the pouch apprehensively while Oota encouraged him to look inside. With a trembling hand he took the pouch and eased it open to peer inside. A noise of surprise escaped him as he rattled the salt lumps about and he stared at Oota.

"This...? how is this supposed to help?"

Oota chuckled. "Well, ever heard of a Doshana?" he asked curiously as he stepped up beside the pirate who had refused to move from his spot.

"Wait, isn't that supposed to be some sort of spirit walk of the mind?" Garth asked waving his hand in a vague motion to indicate he was not a hundred percent sure of the fact.

"Nearly," Oota said wagging a finger much like a teacher instructing his student, "Doshana as you said is like a spirit journey, but it allows ones self to access the memories and thoughts of your subconscious to help heal debilitating diseases. As such it is the only way to kill the parasite."

"How is that supposed to work?" Adrianna asked her voice trembling slightly as she watched the last of the blood disappear.

"Well my dear, you see, you need certain types of memories to kill it before it reaches the brain," Oota explained putting his fingertip to his temple, "These memories trigger certain responses in the body which act like a poison to the parasite, but to find the right memories you need a guide or anchor as it is often called. So in conclusion kiddies, in order to save Sparrow one of you are going to have to walk the path of her memories to first to find her and then guide her back."

A heavy silence fell amongst them absorbing this information as best they could. It was confusing, but they knew it was the only way to save Sparrow. Lorna stirred and her mauve eyes fixed Oota with a determined stare, but Oota shook his head.

"No my child you are far to young, you would be swept up in the emotion of her memories." The look of sudden disappointment caused Garth to wince knowing exactly how she felt.

"Then I will do it," Garth suddenly said, "I am the one here that has known Sparrow longest so I understand her mind."

Oota chuckled. "Is that so," Oota smiled his eyes narrowed slightly, "Hmm, well... maybe, but just because you have known her longest does not mean you _know _her, so I say no." "

Garth made a noise of disgust as his will lined face became creased with sudden anger.

"What?!" the mage growled incredulously, "How can you say that!?"

Oota was about to say something when Reaver stirred and he eased himself out of his ball with a groan of effort as muscles had become stiff. He slowly stood up and looked round floor that was now sparkling clean. He turned slightly to Oota his expression unreadable refusing to look at anyone's face that looked upon him with surprise.

"I will do it," he stated firmly. Oota regarded the man kindly and patted him on the shoulder. Reaver visibly stiffened for a moment before relaxing and looking up at the old man.

"I was hoping you would," the old man said and Garth gaped.

"What...!?" he began as he made to protest, but a single motion and he fell silent as Oota stared at him intently. Garth seethed his will lines blazing,but he made no attempt to argue as he knew he would be beaten down.

"Now Adrianna," Oota said his voice suddenly holding an authoritative tone that made them all stiffen, "I want you to take Lorna to my room and tell some servants to bring me nine tower candles preferably made from Kalon bees wax," Adrianna nodded as he turned to Garth, "You go with her and set up a spirit circle about my bed there will be Mage chalk in my packs, the one marked with the insignia." Garth's eyebrows rose in sudden interest, but did as he was told following the young women out of the room leaving Reaver alone with the old man.

As soon as they were gone Reaver let loose a scream of fury and slammed his fist into the bed post behind him. He panted heavily as the anger and pain threatened to over whelm him. Oota gave the pirate a hard look before grabbing him by the scruff of his tunic's collar and yanked him back so hard he stumbled nearly falling flat on his arse. He turned to glare at the old man balling his fists tightly.

"If you really want to help Sparrow this is not the attitude!" Oota stated pointing at him sharply. Reaver blinked in surprise and took a step back as the heat of the old man's glare sent chills through him. "Now, you have to calm yourself otherwise you might as well give up now."

"You know if your just going to shout at me you might have been better off saying yes to Garth," Reaver growled in reply.

Oota shook his head. "I do not believe he will be able to find her."

"And what makes you think I will be as successful?!" Reaver argued, but Oota merely gave him a steady look a smile appearing on his lips.

"You will have to trust me won't you," the old man replied vaguely making Reaver feel a little unsettled. "The reason I want to talk to you alone for a moment as they are preparing the room is prepare you somewhat so you know what to expect."

Reaver stared at him his eyebrow rose questioningly. "What for?" he asked uncertainly.

"Well, though each mind is different the form usually takes shape... almost like a labyrinth of corridors with vast amounts of doors that lead to many different memories and sometimes thoughts as well."

"You speak as if from experience," the pirate said noting the subdued way the old man spoke and Oota gave him a half smile.

"Well, I do," he replied with a chuckle, "you have a remarkable accuracy for guessing."

"Naturally," Reaver sniffed indifferently causing the old man to chuckle.

"That's better," Oota said with a grin and Reaver regarded him mildly, then shrugged a small smile twitching at his lips. "Well, I doubt you care, but my wife was infected by the parasite. I was just lucky enough that one of the village mage's knew the ritual and I was the anchor for her." He sighed sadly. "Needless to say the Mage made a mistake and it failed."

Reaver glanced at the old man his eyes widened slightly. "I'm sorry," he replied with genuine sympathy.

Oota shrugged. "That was a long time ago," he said then smiled, "Though I would never of thought I would hear that tone of voice from you."

"What's your point," Reaver snapped his eyes narrowing coldly.

Oota waved his hands in a defensive manner as he motioned the pirate to follow him into the corridor. As they walked into the dark hallway servants with laden arms whipped past scurrying with some urgency.

"Now, your job is to find Sparrow, but she may be lost in her own memories," Oota continued to explain and Reaver nodded as he followed a step behind, "But! I stress this, be careful. Though you can see her memories there is the likely hood she might be able to see yours. Unless your prepared for that eventuality it might be hard to find her at all."

Reaver shuddered at the thought of someone ambling through his memories and discover secrets he had long ago buried. He inhaled then expelled it slowly to ease the anxiety he was suddenly feeling. Never had he felt such an array of emotions in the space of an hour and the reason made his mind scoff at him. Something deep in his mind was laughing at him and he knew it was the pirate he had come to be telling him what he was about to do was of no beneficial purpose for him. Beneficial? Purpose? He was not even sure he knew the meaning of those sort of words anymore.

When they stopped out side of Oota's sleeping quarters the door was wide open. Inside the curtains were drawn tight shut and about the bed sat candles of a pale green shade the light of the sputtering flames glowing ominously. On the floor were silver lines tracing some form of obscure pattern on the floor and Garth was on the other side of the bed finishing it off. The glow of the candles gently illuminated Sparrow's still form that lay upon the velvet covers on one side of the large bed dressed in a simple gown of pure white. Upon seeing her a strange feeling crept over Reaver. His chest felt tight yet all his limbs went numb. Why did it hurt so seeing this woman who lay so still. A hand gripped his shoulder and he looked to Oota who regarded him kindly. He jerked his head as an indication to follow him as Adrianna with Lorna stood beside her. Garth stood and also approached as an indication that he had finished as he slipped the chalk into his coat pocket.

"Alright Kiddies," Oota announced as he entered rubbing his hands, "Lets get this show started. Right Garth I want you sat on there, and Lorna I want sat there." The old man pointed at two points either side of the bed where Garth sat on the right and Lorna on the left just on the edge of the circle that was drawn. Garth held himself like one who had confidence that he knew what he was doing though Lorna looked up at Oota doubt evident in her eyes. Oota whispered to her quietly and she nodded sitting cross legged where she was appointed, then sat straight with more confidence. Adrianna gave Oota a determined glance crossing her arms.

"What can I do?" she asked and Oota smiled warmly.

"The best thing for you would be to leave," he told her as tactfully as he could, but the resulting angry glare told him she was not going to take no for an answer. Oota sighed and pointed to a chair in the corner of the room. "If that is the case then stay sat in there, this is going to take an awful long time so get comfortable, oh and one thing."

Adrianna looked at him hopefully. "Don't touch the candles if one goes out."

"Why?" she asked staring down at the candles then back to Oota whose expression was stern.

"Just let them extinguish and don't do anything," Adrianna nodded reluctantly and sat in the chair with a look of disappointment.

"Now as for you Reaver,"Oota then said turning to the pirate whose eyes were trained on the bed, "I want you to lie next to her and link hands." Reaver shot him a questioning glance, but Oota merely waved at him in a hurried manner as a servant entered with a bowl that steamed heavily, the silvery tendrils rising from its surface before disappearing completely. Reaver slowly and apprehensively climbed on to the bed before lying next to Sparrow. He stared at the ceiling for a moment as his hand sort hers and grasped the cold lifeless extremity. He was surprised to find it was not clammy or as rough as he had expected, but smooth and soft. He gripped it tightly before loosening and interlacing his fingers with hers instead. He felt it were more appropriate some how even if it did not matter how he held her hand. He turned his head slightly to glance at her face and he sighed turning to stare at the ceiling once more.

"Now what?!" he demanded impatiently shifting a little uncomfortably.

Oota took the pouch from Garth and retrieved two fairly large lumps of the glittering salt stones before dropping them into the boiling water. He took the bowl from the servant and quickly dismissed him. He looked to Garth and Lorna who nodded in response to a silent order, and they closed their eyes exuding a loud hum vibrating from their throats where they rose in harmony with one another. Oota began to chant as his hand moved in graceful circles over the waters steaming surface where the liquid began to move, slowly at first, then with gathering speed it spun following his hand like an excited puppy.

He continued this as he rounded the bed and leaned over Sparrow's body wafting the steam into her face though she did not inhale and then moved round the bed to Reaver who could already smell the salty water from where he lay. He watched with incurious eyes as Oota placed the bowl between him and Sparrow's heads, then wafted the steam into his face all the while Oota continued to chant in a strange discordant voice. Reaver sputtered as the steam invaded his lungs and spreading from his chest a numbness causing his limbs to grow heavy and he stared at Oota who continued his chanting.

"I thought this was supposed to be dangerous," Reaver managed to say through a fit of coughs panic starting to set in as he could feel the darkness of sleep enclose about him, his vision going blurry. Oota did not reply, but grinned the sound of his deep voice vibrating painfully in the pirate's ears. He did not want to listen to it his every fibre yelled at him, telling him to ignore it, reject it, but he could not help but succumb to its fading hum as unconsciousness finally claimed him.

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Reaver sat bolt upright with his fist clenched into a tight ball as he readied himself to smack the old man hard in the face, then he stopped. His eyes scanned his surroundings staring in disbelief.

_Was this Sparrow's mind?_ He asked himself as he stared down the ivy covered stone corridor. A chilly breeze made him quiver and he watched as his breath swirled and curled about his mouth as he exhaled. The place was cold, but what unsettled him most was the deathly quietness as if the stone was caging him from any sound. Even as he stood no noise that the scrapping of his feet would of made reached his ears. His hand reached out and traced the wall that sparkled with some unknown element giving it this strange fantasy feel. He looked up in surprised to see no ceiling, but a sky that was vast yet dark like the night sky yet there were no stars. He touched the ivy vines shocked to see it looking dead and withered where he was sure it was supposed to be luscious and full of life. He nudged the vine roots that covered the floor with a sigh when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked up to see a dog that looked strikingly familiar. Its sandy coat shone with a light dew as it shook itself and it looked at Reaver with its head tilted curiously.

_Gwayne? _Reaver's mouth said, but though no sound escaped him the dog seemed to understand as it barked silently. _This is really creepy, _Reaver thought as the dog turned and trotted down the corridor. Reaver watched it as it stopped and turned to look at him as if to say, 'well, you coming or not.' He figured it would do no good to argue so he set of at a jog following the dog who moved at a silent trot. The only thought then in Reaver's mind was _Will this dog lead me to Sparrow?_

As Reaver disappeared round the corner a dark swirling mass emerged from the stone work, working itself free as the tendrils snaked and twisted slowly descending to the floor where it collected itself forming an incoherent mass of dense shadow. As the edges of its form licked the stone floor causing the stone to turn black as it became infected with its thick poison. A pair of red glowing eyes glared malevolently at the pirates disappearing figure a sudden vicious white tooth grin appearing in its misty form licking its lips hungrily.

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Sparrow floated in a swirling black mist a bored looking expression on her face as she stared into nothing. She had been floating there for as long as she could remember. The same questions repeated in her head over and over again. Who was she? Where is she? Is she dead? If she was alive then what was she before? She could not remember anything of who she was before and this confused her. She knew she had been somebody, but who. She knew her name was Sparrow, but who was Sparrow. It was a concept far out of her grasp, but then why should she bother trying to figure it out. She could not remember anything anyway.

For a while she could hear a voice calling mama, but she could not figure out to whom that was for. Who was mama? Was she calling that with her dying breath or was it someone else calling her? She had recollection of being a mother, but why did the thought please her deeply. She mused on it for a while until she grew bored again. How long was she going to float here for?

Just as if in answer to her question she landed heavily on a very hard surface and a soft 'oof' escaped her. The black mist began to dissipate and she stood up on shaky legs rubbing her behind as it ached. She looked around as the mist cleared and she found her self staring at a sparkling ocean. The sun was high signalling it was early afternoon and she looked on in awe upon it her mind furiously working trying to figure out where she was. She did a turn about inspecting her environment curiously looking upon the houses with mild interest something about them feeling a bit familiar, almost like she had been here before, but it did not look like what she was seeing now, which was odd.

The sound of children laughing made her turn round to see a small group of children surrounding a small blonde boy. They were poking him with sticks and jeering at him. She shouted at them, but as she ran over they completely ignored her.

"Oi what are you doing!" she shouted, "Leave that boy alone!"

She reached out for one of the boys, but her hand passed right through their shoulder. She stared at her hand in stunned silence as they continued to call the boy names like 'girly-boy' and 'Mothers boy'. A pang of sympathy sent a lethargic wave through her body leaving her feeling faintly dizzy and her arm aching. One of the boy's shoved him roughly and he fell to the dirt with a dull thud.

She watched helplessly as the small boy cried amidst the names that were thrown at him. He glared up at his attackers with angry green eyes as a small trickle of blood ran down the side of his face and Sparrow's breath caught in her throat. They looked familiar some how, but again she could not remember why. She racked her brains, but gave up when nothing came of it.

All of a sudden a girl approached a broom clenched in her hands. Her face was particularly annoyed as she attacked the boys mercilessly swinging the broom in deadly arcs.

"Oi, Marianne what's your problem?!" one of the boys demanded and she glowered at him her scarlet hair glistening in the sunlight.

"Leave Robin alone he did nothing to you," she squeaked in her young voice continuing to swing the broom.

The other children looked at each other just as an adult came over the hill and they legged it fast. Marianne dropped the broom and grabbed the sobbing boy's hand dragging him in the direction of the beach. Wordlessly the boy let her lead him off and Sparrow followed feeling compelled to as they headed down to the harbour. When they stopped they were sat under a pier the surf of the sea gently caressing the beach as it swayed back and forth.

The girl, Marianne, tended to the young boy's wounds as he stopped his crying. He rubbed his nose with a heavy sniff and he glared at the girl.

"What chu' do that for?" he demanded in a small voice, "I could of taken em', "

The girl smiled. "Sorry Robin they looked like they was goin' to hurt you bad so I thought, you know I'd help ya."

"I didn't need your help," Robin replied with a squeak, "An' don't call me Robin."

"OOOh sooorrry," the girl rolled her eyes in a sarcastic manner, "Forgive Reaver, the greatest pirate in all Oakvale."

"Yeah, an' don't chu forget it either," he sniffed sulkily as Marianne giggled. Sparrow's whole world span as the name sent echoes through her skull and she cried out as if in pain. She fell to her knees clutching her head. She gasped violently as her vision spun violently making her gag threatening to vomit. _Reaver? _That name again was familiar, but the boy was he Reaver? who is Reaver?

As the spinning stopped she found herself standing in a dimly lit room. An ageing old woman lay upon a bed covered in a quilt while a handsome young man, no older than eighteen, sat on a wooden stool beside her clutching one of her hands desperately.

"Mother," the young man whispered, the voice though young was again familiar, "Please, your going to be fine."

The old woman opened her eyes the orbs cast with a whiteness as she chuckled.

"I'm sorry my dear boy," she said in a low whisper made hoarse from some ailment unseen to Sparrow.

"No, no, no," the boy pleaded, "I don't want you to go please mother."

The hand that was clutched so desperately suddenly clenched his hands comfortingly.

"I's alright death comes to us all," she said looking in his direction though it was obvious she could not see anything, "it has been a long time coming and I am lucky to have survived this long." She chuckled again, which turned into a racking cough. The young man stood up attempting to fuss, but the old woman waved him away weakly as the coughing subsided. "Listen to me, I may not have any words to comfort you or any words of advice for your future, but remember I love you and I am proud of you, and you will always be my brave little Robin."

"Oh, mother," the young man sighed and Sparrow wrapped her arms about her body the feelings in the room sinking deep into her skin leaving her feeling cold. Again a wave of dizziness caused her to sway slightly, but she clutched the window sill that was behind her to prevent her from falling over.

"Good bye son, I wait for the day when I see you again, I will be awaiting in the gardens of Avo," the words seemed faint as the old woman's breathing slowed and her eyes closed for the final time. Sparrow watched the boys expression as shock slowly gave way to anger, and then finally he buried his face in the covers and wept. Sparrow could feel something trickled down her face and she reached up to catch the tear. She looked at it as the room spun again this time a variety of images swam past her like she was stuck in the middle of a violent whirlpool.

The young man holding a pistol that smoked his eyes blank and cold as he stared down at a dead body at his feet. Sparrow's breath caught in her throat as it faded replaced with images of him with women, then him standing at the stern of a ship looking proudly out to sea. The swirling finally stopped and she found herself standing again outside a house where a tall woman, only a little smaller than she was, stood her eyes trained on something as her soft red hair danced in the wind and she was visibly pregnant.

Giggles and squeals made her turn to see a small group of women were approaching and at its centre was the same young man except he was older, perhaps in his late twenties grinning charmingly as the young ladies fluttered their eye lashes at him. They soon disappeared when he waved them off and he neared the house. The woman standing at the door and glared at him darkly. He replied with an innocent expression, but Sparrow could tell she was not having any of it.

"All ways the same with you isn't it!" she scolded waving a fist at him, "All those bloody women, I tell you Robin one of these days..."

"One of these days what?" he interrupted as he hugged her and kissed her passionately. She visibly melted, but when they parted she half heartedly glared at him.

"This doesn't change a thing Rob," she said firmly though a lot of the fierceness had left her tone as she hugged him warmly. He responded in kind.

"I'm sorry darling, but they can't get enough of me," he said in a tone that held a familiar arrogant lilt to it and Sparrow found herself smiling though she could not think why.

"Oh really, here I am pregnant with your child and all you do is gallivant across the ocean wooing women, is there no end!" She sighed sadly and he cupped her cheek the smile was genuinely tender and loving. Sparrow gritted her teeth feeling jealousy arouse in her chest though again she knew not where this feeling came from. Who was he that caused her body and heart to react so when she had no idea who he was.

"Marianne, there is one difference between you and them," he said holding her close to his chest as she peered up at him curiously, "well apart from being breathtakingly beautiful, intelligent, sharp tongued and quick witted..."

She gave him a playful smack around the arm as a sign for him to get to the point as she pouted shyly. He chuckled deep in his chest the sound sent shivers over Sparrow's skin as he brushed the hair out of the woman's eyes.

"The difference is that you know my real name," he said, "so you know the real me and not Reaver, the brave seaman and hero that they know."

The look on her face suddenly became sly and her blue eyes twinkled. "Oh I see, your just sponging off of their affection's are you?"

The look on his face was incredulous and she giggled. "Sponging!? I wouldn't do that!" he stated firmly and she giggled again throwing her arms about his neck, and kissing him on the lips.

"Its so easy to tease you and fun too," she giggled and Sparrow turned away in embarrassment as they looked at each other a faint flush creeping to her cheeks as the world spun once again. She stumbled when the spinning stopped abruptly, but as she gathered herself she became aware of a chill and the sky was pitch black with nothing but the haunting full moon glaring down at her. She looked about as houses blazed and screams broke the silence permeated by haunting laugher. She spun on the spot coming face to face with the same young man from before staring at a house that blazed furiously the roar of the fire curling about the screams that emanated from within. He sunk to his knees as a look of horror and disbelief twisted his handsome features tears streaming down his cheeks as he watched, helplessly, as the house burned with his wife within. As she watched she knelt beside him. She could feel the emotions that exuded from him in waves causing a choked sob to escape her throat. Her hand reached out to touch him but it slid through his form and she looked at her hand forlornly understanding just how he felt.

Suddenly a pain shot through her arm and a scream tore from her lips. She fell to the ground writhing in agony as a shadowy figure neared looking down at the man with evil red eyes.

~Reaver...~ its cold voice said from under its hood, ~this is what you have chosen, now you must live with its consequences~

Sparrow's eyes widened as shadow looked down at her its red eyes glowed briefly a dark chuckle echoing in a discordant voice. ~And your time is near as well~ it said as the scene faded and Sparrow screamed once more.

When her environment re-collected itself she found herself staring at a wooden beamed ceiling with a large chandelier hanging from it. She panted heavily as the pain eased leaving her arm throbbing and aching. She eased herself into a sitting position and looked about the room dazedly. She blinked several times to rid herself of the pain induced haze that blinded her vision. She became aware of metal striking stone and she managed to stand using the wall as a support as she turned to regard the rest of the room.

Before stood a grand fireplace where a man leant close to a large slab of stone, which had already carved into it the back end of a person. She swept her gaze across and there standing in the glow of the fire was the now familiar figure of Robin or was it Reaver. She felt confused, but she leaned against the wall preparing herself to watch whatever came next. She watched as he stood visibly bored with one hand upon his hip and the other holding up, as if with pride, a pistol as his spectacular green eyes took in every inch of the carved metal.

The door suddenly opened and someone walked in their boots clicking against the floor with a deliberate slowness. Sparrow watched Reaver looked up. His face looked first surprised, then lustful before appearing seemingly indifferent as he turned back to looking at his pistol. Sparrow turned her head and her mouth fell agape in astonishment. Standing before her was herself at least she thought it was herself, but she looked so young. Sparrow approached the woman noting the were the same height, had the same hair colour and she noted they had the same scars though she had some new once since this moment. Why could she not remember any of this?! She thought angrily her hand going to her neck to ease the ache that had spread over her shoulder.

"Well, hello there," Reaver's voice said with fake surprise, "Always a nice surprise to have company, I don't get many visitors to my little coastal paradise."

He turned slightly to look at the younger Sparrow with a smirk his eyes dark and calculating.

"Especially ones who may well redefine one mans concept of 'paradise'," he went on to say. They regarded each other for a moment and Sparrow watched as her younger self creased up with laughter.

"Do you know how corny that sounds," the young Sparrow giggled slapping her knee. Reaver looked distinctly annoyed as he watched the young woman double over grasping her knees in an attempt to prevent herself from falling over. Sparrow looked over at Reaver who watched her younger self a strange expression was on his face and yet she could not place it.

At that moment all sound seemed to reduce in volume until she could her nothing at all. A bark made her turn and a dog sat in the door way regarding her almost in amusement. She pushed herself off the wall sweat now trickling unnoticed over her skin as she looked down at the dog in confusion.

"Where did you come from?" she asked it as it tilted his head in response. Footsteps made her look up and her gaped in shock. She pointed at the on coming figure almost accusingly.

"Who the hell are you?!" she demanded angrily as the figure stepped up beside the dog.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Another chapter! Go me, lol. I thought that I had not updated for so long you deserve a second chapter this weekend. Plus this all was roaming around inside my head and had to get it down. I hope you enjoyed it so read and review and the next instalment will be along sometime during the week.


	21. The All Consuming Darkness

Adrianna slouched in a very unlady like manner boredom written plainly on her exotic features. For the past three hours absolutely nothing had happened except for Reaver mumbling and fidgeting as he slept all the while clutching the still Sparrow's hand. Adrianna sighed righting herself to get into a more comfortable position. _Why did the old man not have something more comfortable in his room?_ She thought irritably to herself.

A sudden pop made her jump and she turned sharply to look at the bed. Reaver's jaw's were clenched, but there was nothing really out of the ordinary. Then she noticed that the candle nearest to him had gone out sitting upon its pedestal as it smoked sadly. She made to move then she froze before easing herself back into the chair.

_That's right, I can't relight them, _she thought to herself as she nervously clutched her knees with her hands folded across them. But why could she not? What sort of purpose had they?... if they had a purpose that is. She sighed again. She would never understand Mage's and their magic.

Her eyes trailed to Lorna who sat straight backed, sweat gently trickling over her pale skin, the same thrum of noise vibrated in her throat. That same noise had at first made Adrianna's skull vibrate and her teeth chatter, but as she got used to it, it made her mind feel as if it were stuffed with fluffy cotton. It was a bizarre feeling but it was bearable. She looked to Oota who looked as if he had fallen asleep and if it were not for the discordant notes that came from him she would of thought he was. She smiled a little and looked to Garth. She watched him for a moment his will lines glowing gently whilst his silvery hair and beard were illuminated by the light of the flickering candles. She thought it was strange for someone to have traits seen in an elder and yet he did not really look that old. Her thoughts wondered and she began to question how old the mage was.

Another pop made her jump again, breaking her out of her reverie, as another candle went out. A annoyed expression crossed Oota's face but it soon relaxed beginning a long stream of incantations that made Adrianna shudder at the very sound. It was no language that she had ever heard and something about it felt chilling, frightening. Her restlessness soon abated in the knowing that she really could not do anything and the useless feeling made a lump rise to her throat.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Reaver stopped in a junction with a sense of disorientation settling heavily over him. He panted silently his breath causing wisps of steam to rise from his mouth in puffs. He waved it away irritably as he scowled at his surroundings almost accusingly. He had been running after this mutt for a long time now and they had passed many doors that looked wooden and brittle, but when he had gone to open one that dog would start tugging on his trouser leg. It annoyed the pirate to no end. How was he supposed to save this woman if he could not even search for her. He eyed the canine that sat on its haunches regarding him with those infuriatingly calm brown eyes of its.

On a silent command Reaver began to follow the dog as it turned to trot down the left corridor. Reaver had his doubts that the dog knew where it was going, but then this was her mutt and if anyone would know that woman's mind it would be him. He began to feel a bit jealous knowing the dog possibly knew her better than he may ever do. He ignored the feeling as he always did when he felt something he did not want to. He had grown accustomed and adept at emotion dodging as he called it. It gave him something to do in those lonely hours he found himself on his own, which he admitted was not very often.

As he ambled down the corridor he noticed a strange dim light up ahead. He looked down at the dog who peered at him with its tongue hanging out the side of its muzzle with a happy dog like grin. Reaver rolled his eyes, but he could not fight the sudden feeling of excitement and anticipation as he neared the light. When he stepped into the room he felt a little let down, but his excitement remained as his green eyes scanned the room.

It was medium sized, neat and rather clean despite the tree's in each of the four corners. Their dead branches reached towards the dark sky above and yet the floor was devoid of any leaves that may of carpeted it. On one wall was a simple stone fire place and above its mantle was a portrait of a young girl he had never seen before. She had the same eyes as Sparrow, but her hair was a totally different colour, perhaps more red than brown, and her clothes indicated she may of been a pauper.

_There's no way that's Sparrow... is it?_ He thought to himself as he reached the cold, silent hearth and touched the mantle with a hesitant hand. He turned to look down at an armchair whose ornate nature contradicted the simplicity of the rest of the room. He wondered if this was some form of reflection of her mind. He chuckled at the thought and he noticed beside the chair was a stool with a thick volume a top of it. Its black binding glistened in the dim light and something about it made him want to pick it up. Well he was not the type to ignore his impulses, so he reached down and lifted it. He rested it on the palm of his hand and began to flick through it expecting maybe a diary like entries, but there was nothing. The pages were blank causing a frown to appear upon his face as he flicked through then put the volume back. He turned slightly to regard the room speculatively and that was when he noticed the doors around the room. Though the room was not very large there was a door on either side of the openings that opened up to corridors leading off elsewhere. That made four doors as Reaver had entered from from side of the room. On the wall opposite the fire place there was another four doors. Reaver frowned and turned noticing two doors on either side of the fire place. He frowned again wondering why he had not noticed them before hand or did they only just appear?

Reaver looked down at the dog who sat watching him with his tail wagging looking almost expectantly at him. Reaver rolled his eyes and approached one of the doors. He looked at it for a moment noting an engraving in the wood. As he ran his finger tips over it the engraving came alight with a strange glow revealing lettering. His eyes widened as he read it a grin appearing on his face, eyes twinkling mischievously.

_My First_, he chuckled soundlessly and reached for the door handle. He looked down at the dog the grin never leaving his handsome features. _I hope this is what I think it is_, he thought as he twisted the handle and stepped trough into a shadowy room the dog nipping passed him. The door closed behind him with a snap and as he waited the shadow lifted as if it were a blanket being removed to reveal the scene. What Reaver saw made him exclaim in shock and he pressed himself against the wall with a look of horror that had instantaneously replaced the grin.

Sparrow was lain on a double bed surrounded by people Reaver refused to look at as he realised what the words meant. It was not her first 'time' but her first child. This realisation was hit home when Sparrow screamed followed by furious huffing and puffing. Someone was shouting encouragements to her, which she seemed to be ignoring as she shouted rather colourful profanities back at them.

He watched mesmerized and yet utterly terrified of what he was seeing as Sparrow slumped to the bed exhausted by her efforts and one of the figures handed her a small bundle. It was then that Reaver saw the tender expression as she held the baby to her chest. A strange emotion washed over Reaver and he quickly concluded he had over stayed his welcome, so he turned leaving through the door he had come through.

When had closed the door behind him he leaned against it with a sigh of relief. He had never, in the two hundred or so years of life, witnessed a woman giving birth and it left him feeling fairly nauseated. He looked down at the dog who he swore was laughing at him and he stared at it accusingly. _You knew didn't you, _he mouthed before stalking over to another door.

He looked at it noting similar etchings in the door. It suddenly burst alight and his eyes read it as he grasped the door handle. It said 'Rose' and he sighed as he pushed the door open preparing himself for another unexpected surprise.

As he stepped through he shuddered. The air was bitterly cold and he hurried to rub his arms to ward it away. He looked around at the stone built houses as he walked down the snow strewn alley before coming to place that looked up at a castle. Reaver sought through his own memories trying to figure where in relation to Sparrow could this be. He surmised it to be Castle Fairfax.

He looked up as a bird flew over head and landed on the edge of a roof. He watched with a raised eyebrow as it defecated and his eyes followed it down before it landed with a splat on a young girls head. His hand grasped his mouth as he forced a laugh from leaving him and reminded himself why he was there. A shudder rose up his spine and he turned to look over his shoulder at the dark alley behind him. He shrugged and looked at the two young girls who stood huddled by a barrel where a fire blazed cheerily.

"Err what was that," one of the girls said. Reaver drew closer as curiosity overcame him. The taller child seemed familiar somehow and the portrait immediately came to mind. _Rose, _he thought as he stood by to watch his eyes falling onto the smaller girl that wiped furiously at her hair. He chuckled, a pair of very familiar blue eyes stared at the other girl in annoyance.

"We-ll, I hear that's lucky, like finding a four leaf clover though I think I prefer the clover," Reaver chuckled again at the thought, "Aww look little Sparra'..."

That confirmed it. The small girl was Sparrow as a child, he thought excitedly, which meant the older girl was Rose. As he listened idly to them talk about the castle and Lucien Reaver smiled in a forlorn fashion. He could tell that Rose may of grown to become an exceedingly attractive woman. All the signs were there and she may even of surpassed Sparrow on that score. He sighed, she may have had a fire within her, but the girl lacked something Sparrow had though he could not think what it was. He then glanced down at Sparrow with a sudden grin. As a child she looked so scrawny and tom-boyish certainly something to remember for future reference. He was distracted by a cheer of a crowd he turned slightly to look behind him. The girls noticed too and went to investigate. Curious, Reaver followed, but he soon stopped when a greasy and nasty looking man stepped out of the shadows to confront the girls.

" 'Allo there young rose, You look hungry, have you reconsidered my offa'?" the grimy man asked looking down at her with crooked grin exposing yellowed and rotten teeth. Rose visibly shuddered stepping backwards from him.

"We will never be that hungry, the answer is no!" the girl replied firmly with a hint of disgust.

"You'll be back and I will be waiting for ya'," the man said with a nasty sneer before turning to walk off in a huff. Something about that small encounter unsettled Reaver as he followed them down under the archway before coming to a stop near a caravan that undoubtedly attracted the attention of a huge crowd. Deciding to ignore this he went to poke around a bit, but found nothing of interest in this memory, and so returned to where Rose and Sparrow stood. A faint chill made him shudder and he looked over his shoulder. A shadow in the corner of the courtyard rippled and he watched with growing horror as tendrils of what looked like greasy black smoke reached out causing everything it touched to disappear. Alarm coursed through him as he looked at the two girls now conversing with a hooded figure that was very familiar. Theresa! He knew it, she had been here since the beginning. A faint hum made him break eye contact with them and he stared at the cloud that slowly consumed. He watched as all the people, blind to it, disappeared with a shimmer. He could no longer ignore the danger he must have been in so he turned running back down the alley way, but when he found himself in the place he had just been he shouted in anger and fear. The door had disappeared which meant he was trapped. Thinking fast he rushed back to where the girls had been only to find they were gone. Panic stricken he ran in the opposite direction of the on coming cloud. He skidded round a corner to find a small group of children playing with two familiar figures hovering over something. He let out a sigh of relief when he realised it was the dog, but this one did not have the lustrous golden coat of its future self, but instead was a dusty brown looking more like a mongrel. The two girls left it where it sat whining piteously and when they had disappeared completely it turned its head to look at Reaver. It jumped to its feet and trotted over its pink hanging limply from its mouth as it greeted the pirate happily.

Reaver sighed and looked behind him thoughtfully. He then looked down the alley in shock as he looked down into a dark dense shadow that covered the alley from floor to sky like a wall relentlessly pursuing him. He scowled angrily at it then turned back to the dog.

"Alright Mutt," he growled, "I want out and I want out Now! Preferably before that thing gets me!"

The dog tilted its head and looked behind him barking at it before turning around to run off down yet another alley. Reaver sighed in frustration as he charged after the dog. When the dog stopped it turned its head to look at Reaver and barked jumping at a door. Reaver looked at it speculatively then turned to look at the black wall he had left far behind him. It was consuming the memory with agonising slowness as if whatever it was was actually enjoying it. Reaver shuddered and burst through the door a renewed sense of urgency sending him sprinting across the room, and jumping through another on the opposite side of the room where the four doors were.

He stopped short as the door snapped behind him. The room he stood in was dark with only the light of the moon filtering through the small window to illuminate a dresser. A giggle made Reaver smirk. He neared what he assumed was the bed as two figures where lain upon it fumbling under some covers. Reaver could not help but laugh at the absurdity of it all as he realised this must be the actual first time he had wanted to see in the first place. The activity before the activity he had witnessed previous the thought of which still sent ripples of horror and disgust through him.

He watched for a moment his head tilting this way and that as if examining or analysing something of fair importance a light frown creasing his handsome face. He shook his head in sad disappointment. Something nudged his leg and he looked down at the dog who peered up at him with large brown eyes and he sighed.

"Was _this _her first time!?" he asked in an incredulous tone jerking his thumb at the bed that creaked and shuddered under the force of their 'activity'. He shook his head again a disgusted look on his face. "It was her first time! He could of handled it a bit more delicately and he has little imagination in seduction front, pfft, you don't rush things like this. You ruin the experience if force yourself upon a woman moments upon disrobing her."

He sighed in frustration as he looked down upon the bed his face cracking into a wide grin before looking back down at the dog pointing at the bed.

"Would you look at that, she has the cutest mole just under her nipple," he giggled pointing at the said little spot. The dog growled and Reaver got the point reaching for the door but when he tried to turn the handle to open it, it was stuck fast and refused to open. He rattled and jerked the handle as hard as he could, but it refused to relent. He sighed once again in frustration turning back to the dog. He wondered the room inspecting the space ignoring what was going on in the room. Apart from the window there was no other exit or entrance.

_Maybe the space is limited by the memory, _he thought as he looked up to the window with a thoughtful frown, _but if that strange cloud were to show up I would be in deep... deep trouble. _

As he had guessed earlier Sparrow's fun came to an abrupt end. Everything was quiet for a moment and Reaver turned just as Sparrow sat up swinging her legs so that they dangled off the side of the bed. Most of her body was covered by the blanket that she clutched to her naked frame. Reaver took a step or two nearer as she looked down at the sleeping man beside her. Her dark hair was slightly damp from sweat and it clung to her skin. Reaver found the sight very alluring and he unconsciously licked his lips.

She sighed and looked at the dog that rested his head on her bare knee as she patted his head.

"Not quite what I was expecting," she admitted glumly as she scratched behind the animals ears.

Reaver decided he had enough and stalked from the room muttering darkly to himself at the injustice of it all. When he returned to the room he counted the rooms he had been in and carefully walked over to the next door his eyes scanning the room wearily. From under the door where he had seen her sister, Rose, small black tentacles snaked from underneath groping blindly. He fought the sudden urge to go stamp on them, but he did not know what kind of effect that would of had. For all he knew he might disappear as well and he was not having that whether it be for Sparrow's sake or anyone else.

He looked at the door he was about to go through and as before letters were emblazoned across it sparkling from within notches of the wood. This one said 'My Unfaithful Secret'. This definitely had him intrigued as he slowly opened the door.

He found himself standing within a very familiar street and he grinned when he looked up seeing his own mansion, but when he saw Sparrow she was walking away from it leading him down towards the docks. Fascinated he followed much like the dog at her heels. They made their way round past the Stylist's shop when she suddenly stopped. Just on the corner opposite stood a familiar face. One of Bloodstone's many prostitutes and this one was male, whom Reaver knew quite well being one of his regulars and all. He watched with amusement as the prostitute smirked at her from across the street and approached coyly eyeing her with undisguised lust.

"Come back for another round, luv?" he asked with a chuckle. Reaver's eyes widened as his mind made a quick turn on itself, and realisation came over him. She was dissatisfied with her husband and so went to one of Bloodstone's prostitutes. His blood began boil as he realised he had been missing out on an opportunity to show this woman what making love was really like. He cursed his reservations he had at this time when she had first come to see him about the whole Lucien business.

"I... I dunno," she said looking away with a hurt expression as if she was faced with an impossible dilemma.

The male prostitute chuckled. "Indecisive huh, not like last time," he said drawing dangerously close and Reaver was surprise she had let him, "I will let you shout 'his' name again."

_'His'? _Reaver thought questioningly regarding the pair with narrowed eyes. _He could not mean... maybe he does,_ were the thoughts roaming through the pirates mind as he continued to watch.

Sparrow said nothing as she looked elsewhere refusing to even look at the man the hint of shame pinching her features. The prostitute rolled his eyes and sighed running a hand through his dark well kept hair.

"Ya know, why don't you just go to him," he suggested helpfully, "I can guarantee he is a lot better than me..." His eyes grew whistful for a moment, "... cheaper too." He suddenly chuckled moving off when Sparrow fixed him with the infamous death glare.

"Absolutely out of the question!" she stated firmly as he backed off a little with fear showing on his face.

"Why not?"

"I cannot let my personal feelings get in the way of what I have to do," she said matter-of-factly, "besides that … 'man' does not need someone like me, besides I am married with two children." Her expression became pained her voice hinting that she may of regretted that decision.

The prostitute waited expectantly his eyebrow rose. "Well?" he eventually said, "you coming up or not?"

Sparrow regarded him thoughtfully and Reaver waited with bated breath for her answer. None came as she smiled at the prostitute, a small deadly smile that made his skin creep. The prostitute grinned as he wagged a beckoning finger and she followed him into the house behind him. Reaver stood there in mute shock. He never even knew this was going on despite him having people watching her every move whilst within his 'Coastal Paradise'. Why did he not know about this. As he stood there fuming his mind made a new realisation and he looked up at the house. He did not know how long he stood there revelling in the knowing that she had possibly liked him before the incident in the Spire, but something about that irked him. Not only had he been missing out on a good thing, but knowing what he had done to cause her to loath him with such hate made him feel surprisingly awful.

A warning bark broke him out of his reverie and he looked up at the sky. He cursed colourfully under his breath as the black cloud began to stain the sky much like a drop of ink in water as it consumed the blue space. He looked up at the house with dark glance before following the dog to a door he had not previously noticed and he swore he could hear his name being called as he stepped through the portal.

This was getting ridiculous all he was doing was running around viewing random memories. He glared at the four walls about him clenching his fists tightly the anger rising leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO! he scream at the silent stone about him even though he knew that no sound escaped him. He glared about his surroundings before giving the armchair a hefty kick sending it crashing into the wall where it landed with a thud. He was about to kick the side table when he saw the book. He picked it up to look at its blank cover. He growled and was about to toss it aside when something caught his eye. He turned the book to look at the spine and along it in glistening silver writing was 'Sparrow: Memoirs of a Warrior Mother That Never Learned To Fly'.

Something in his brain clicked as he looked at the walls. Just by the hearth the dog watched him impassively as Reaver gazed thoughtfully at the doors. _Oota said I would see her memories, _he thought as he walked to one of the doors and touched it gingerly, _but he did not mention anything regarding a place such as this. Hmm, so this means that these must be her most treasured memories... _ he pointed to the first door then turned to look at the 'Unfaithful' door, _and her deepest secrets. _He smiled despite himself and he opened the book one last time hoping to find something, anything that might remain pouring through with desperation in each quick flick as he turned the pages one by one. He grinned when he found one page of writing, which was scribbled in a script that was quavering almost as if the writer was not confident of what they were writing. He scanned the page noting it said something about meeting a man named Bob who was always talking about his wife.

_'Bob was talking about his wife again. I know if I thought about it I could remember what her name is, but to be honest I can't right now. This dull thrum in my ears is annoying the hell out of me and I am finding it hard to think. That is why I am taking this opportunity to etch this into my mind. _

_You see as Bob spoke so warmly of his wife and he said remembering her eased the pain he faced living in this god forsaken place. It made me realise something and so I came up with this as a way of remembering that no matter where I am, or what happens in my life, the memories of my husband, children and friends will help me get through the most debilitating of circumstances. And so I have written this as a way of helping me accomplish that. _

In this world you tried

not leaving me alone behind.

There's no other way.

I prayed to the gods let him stay.

The memories ease the pain inside,

now I know why.

All of my memories keep you near.

In silent moments imagine you here.

All of my memories keep you near.

Your silent whispers, silent tears.

Made me promise I'd try

to find my way back in this life.

I hope there is a way

to give me a sign you're okay.

Reminds me again it's worth it all

so I can go on.

Together in all these memories

I see your smile.

All the memories I hold dear.

Darling, you know I love you

till the end of time.

All of my memories

_Well some of the notation needs a bit of work and I think the wording is off a little and does not match the melody quite right, but I will have to think about that another time, another guard is coming. To tell me to go see the Commandant most likely...'_

Reaver snapped the book shut and laid it back on the stool where it originally was and retrieved the chair he had kicked to put it into its rightful place. Gwayne watched him worriedly whether he was whining or not Reaver could not tell not that he was listening to him as he gripped the chair tightly in his hands. He looked at the door that recently escaped from leading into Bloodstone before turning his gaze to the other doors once more, a certain longing in his gaze like he was wishing he could go and discover what other secrets this fascinating woman was hiding, but something stayed his hand. He sighed knowing he would have to wait for her reveal what other secrets she kept hidden and he so deplored waiting, but there was nothing else he could do. He looked down at the dog whose tail wagged slowly as he watched the pirate tilting his head curiously.

_Ok you mutt, _Reaver said kneeling down, _you know where she is don't you! You led me here for a reason, which means you know don't you!_

The dog lowered its head looking a little shamed faced before looking up at a door then back to Reaver. Reaver took this as meaning that this was the door but as he stood he realised that the doors were slowly disappearing, fading from view. A renewed sense of panic flared and he followed the dog to the said door with quickened steps. As he turned to regard the room one last time he made a disgusted face seeing the tendrils appear from under the remaining doors and he angrily wrenched the door open stepping through with renewed determination.

He stopped to calmly take in his new surroundings and a small smile appeared. He was in the entrance hall of his mansion and the familiar stair case and highly polished wood panelling caused a nostalgic feeling to creep in. It had been a long time since he had seen these walls, these stairs that he had almost forgotten what a pleasure it was to be standing in his own hall of luxury.

A peal of laughter caught his attention and he followed it through the door leading to his study. A very familiar sight met his eyes as he watched himself watch the girl, that was doubled over with laughter, with a hint of of disdain and surprise, the fire blazing merrily behind him.

The dog trotted past him and sat on its haunches looking at something he could not yet see. He stepped into the study and turned, his eyes widening, as he saw Sparrow standing there staring at him in amazement and uncertainty. Her expression quickly changed and her finger raised to point at him.

"Who the hell are you!?" she demanded angrily looking from him to the other him. His jaw dropped slightly as he had not anticipated this reaction and it irked him. A muscle about his eye twitched as he neared her, but she refused to back away crossing her arms defiantly.

"What do you mean, who the hell are you?" he asked in an incredulous tone, "don't you remember."

Her bottom lip stuck in a stubborn pout. "No! I don't, but why can you see me... if your him then what … hang on..." she looked at the other Reaver then at the Reaver that stood in front of her almost accusingly.

Reaver sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. It was not quite the warm, friendly reunion he had hoped for but as he rubbed his chin in thought he realised that, that black cloud was eating her memories so she would naturally not remember. He cursed colourfully making Sparrow look at him strangely.

"Ok, if your him then... who am I? I'm her, must be, but... I … " Sparrow suddenly clutched her head a whimper of pain escaping her lips. Reaver immediately went to help her, but she pushed him a way with a fearful exclamation.

"Yes I am him and your name is Sparrow!" he told the woman grabbing her gently by the arm to force her to look him in the eye, "and I am here to help you."

"Why?" she questioned her face pale as pain coursed through her arm and through her skull.

"Because..." the words suddenly got stuck in his throat as he tried to force himself to say something. He stared down at her as his mouth gaped like a distressed fish before Gwayne barked in warning and the pair turned their heads towards the mansions entrance. Sparrow's eyes widened as through the door was a swirling wall of dense cloud. Reaver swore again and looked about frantically thinking of a way to escape but other than the door there was no way to escape, unless...

His eyes went to the book case and wondered if it would work. However, it may not like in one of Sparrow's memories. He turned to Sparrow who was staring at the black cloud with utter fear. It was then he noticed thin veins of black staining her skin. He reached out and touched her shoulder causing the woman to squeak with surprise. She looked at him, but did not back away when he pushed her blouse collar aside so he could see more. He frowned realising it must be the venom working its way through her body.

"What is that?" Sparrow suddenly asked pointing at the cloud. Reaver looked at it and scowled angrily.

"That is very dangerous, what ever you do don't touch it," he stated firmly and she looked confused.

"Why not?" she question.

"You will disappear," he said refusing to look down at her as he dragged her over to the bookcase that he knew led to his rear passage. She looked all the more confused as the dog leaned against her.

"Is... is that a bad thing?" she asked as Reaver ran his hands over the books until his fingers touched the right book. He inclined his head a little so he could just see her out of the corner of his eye.

"That is a very bad thing."

She looked at him with furrowed brows trying to figure him out. "Why do you care?"

The words reverberated through Reaver's head and many possible answers came to him, but all were deplorable to him. He shook his head and smiled a little as he yanked the book then waited.

"It's not a matter of whether I care or not dear," he finally said as gigs and cogs hidden within the wood work groaned, creaking into life, "there are a lot of people who don't want you to disappear." He smiled triumphantly as the book case shook and slid aside to reveal a familiar hole leading to the smuggler tunnels beneath. Sparrow regarded him with a strange expression. He turned back to look at her and her heart skipped a beat as he stared at her with his bright green eyes. She gulped and looked at the cloud as if it were an excuse not to look at him for fear of... what was she afraid of when she looked at him? She could not even remember who he was and yet her body reacted to something her mind knew nothing of.

She let out a gasp of shock as the cloud suddenly reached into the room and lapped up the floor hungrily leaving nothing but darkness. She rushed over to Reaver who held out his hand encouragingly. Reaver looked at the dog who remained sat where he was regarding the pirate gravely.

"Come on what are you waiting for!?" Reaver demanded and Sparrow looked back at the animal who looked almost sad, but with a resolute determination it got up to face the cloud with a defiant growl. Reaver instantly understood though the expression on Sparrow's face told him how confused she was.

"Gwayne?" Sparrow whispered as the bookcase began to slide closed and the dog looked at Sparrow with a love and affection that brought a lump to the woman's throat. Something inside Sparrow sparked and she flung herself at the bookcase with a scream in order to stop it from closing. Reaver quickly grabbed her to stop her from getting stuck as it snapped closed her fists slamming against the wood causing it to shudder. "no GWAYNE!! not again, please not again."

She slumped to the floor and burst into tears as a loud whimper of pain filtered through the wood and then silence. Reaver stared at Sparrow blinking slightly.

"You remember the dog?" he asked incredulously.

She turned a little towards the pirate and nodded tears streaking down her face. Reaver knew his anger was unjustified considering the circumstances, but he scowled darkly.

"You remember him, but not me!" he sounded hurt causing the woman to look up at him with wide eyes. His anger slowly ebbed away as they stared at each other and he knew he could not stay angry as those blue orbs stared at him with fear, confusion and ultimately pain.

"I want to, believe me, I want to but I can't," she said her voice quavering, fresh tears making their way down her pink cheeks. Reaver sighed and grabbed her by the arm. She let him lift her to her feet then half drag her down the narrow corridor that sloped gently into the ground.

"Well... we have to keep moving either way," he said his voice slightly subdued, "we have to figure out how to beat this thing before it beats us. When we do your memories should return, I hope."

Sparrow nodded and straightened with a look of renewed determination wiping away her tears. She quickened her steps so that they ran side by side through the tunnels and caverns. Her eyes scanned her surroundings her mind desperately groping at things that felt like water in her mind. She suddenly screamed as the floor beneath her shuddered violently and a deep menacing rumble caused loose stones to fall from the high ceiling above them. She collapsed to her knees to cover her head, but something warm quickly covered her body to protect her from the debris that clattered about them. When the rumbling stopped she looked up at Reaver who pulled away quickly ready to get on their way. Sparrow reached out to him and grabbed his arm for fear he may leave her behind. A strong hand covered hers and she looked at Reaver who peered at her with an unreadable expression. He patted her hands and smiled wanly.

"Come on we have to keep moving," he whispered allowing her to take his hand which he grasped firmly. They made their way through a tunnel that lead to a wooden slatted bridge, but the way forward was blocked.

_If they could keep going forward then maybe something in the cove would be able to help Sparrow,_ Reaver thought excitedly to himself. It was their only hope and he so wanted to be out of this whole mess already. He grabbed the wooden planks that obstinately blocked their path and yanked violently, but they refused to budge.

"No, not now," he growled kicking and thumping on the offending material, but no matter how hard he hammered it merely shuddered under the pirates strength.

Sparrow looked alarmed and she watched helpless. A slow chill ran up her spine and her arm began to ache painfully. She gasped loudly and collapsed to her knees cradling her painful limp. Reaver turned attracted by the noise and rushed to her side.

"Sparrow?" his voice was laced with worry and his hands hovered about her body unsure whether to touch her or not.

"M...my arm, it hurts," she whimpered letting out a weak yell as a wave of pain shuddered up her arm again.

A dark chuckle suddenly reverberated through the cavern and Reaver scanned the area, his eyes widening in shock as the dense cloud rose about them, swirling and churning in sickening circles as it consumed the cavern surrounding them in a shell of complete darkness. Sparrow clutched at Reaver's shirt as the discordant sound echoed around them.

"_Watching you run around like a mouse trapped in a maze has been truly amusing,"_a high pitched, stringent voice chuckled, "_yet you cannot escape your fates, it is inevitable and you cannot fight me."_

"Is that so," Reaver replied calmly though his insides seethed with fury, "I beg to differ."

The voice chuckled again. _"Indeed," _it said and it paused as if considering something, plunging the darkness into a cold silence, _"I think when I am done with this pathetic wench I will have you too, you are quite... shall we say seasoned." _It chuckled again making the pair shudder, _"You would make for quite the meal. Looks of painful and … tasty memories. Now you will watch as I consume what is left of this... dare I say it, woman... humph rather worthless human being if I do say so."_

Reaver suddenly wished he had his Dragon Stomper, a sword or anything to rend this monstrous piece of shit to pieces. His body quaked as his anger coursed through his body leaving his muscles tingling. He glared up at the dark cloud that surrounded them defiantly his green eyes flashing dangerously.

"Sparrow is not worthless!" he shouted clutching the woman to him protectively a few defiant words leaking from his memory, "I don't care who you are or why you want Sparrow, but you are not getting her you hear me," he yelled at the swirling darkness, "As long as I hold breath I will keep her from you, you hear!"

"Reaver?" Sparrow whispered in an uncertain voice as she watched his face crease with the repressed wrath that threatened to burst from him and she gasped as his trembling body began to glow with a yellow light. It was weak at first, but grew stronger as his emotions fuelled an unknown power. The words sounded vaguely familiar, but before she could contemplate it she suddenly stiffened as another wave of pain racked her body leaving her breathing weakly. She suddenly felt tired and wanted to close her eyes, but seeing Reaver had her mesmerized.

He looked down at her worriedly and she smiled weakly before her eyes grew shiny with tears.

"I'm tired Reaver," she whispered and the Pirate's eyes widened and began to shake his head slowly unwilling to accept what he had heard.

"Tired, what do you mean?"

"I am just tired, but I don't want... don't want to close my eyes," she stammered as the tears ran silently down her cheek, "I don't want to disappear!"

Reaver swallowed the lump that rose to his throat and as best he could he looked down at Sparrow with one of his charming smile his hand rising to tentatively touch her face.

"Its okay, you won't disappear," Reaver assured his voice quavering slightly.

"Why?" she questioned her eyes appealing.

"Because I won't let you," he said a lonely tear running down his cheek, "I won't."

A disgusted noise roamed round them. _"I think I'm going to be going to be sick," _ the voice said _"Are you two finished because I am very hungry now." _

Reaver ignored him even as the darkness started to draw in closer his own yellow glow defied it with all the strength he could muster. He held Sparrow close as he stroked her face and leaned forward to kiss the woman deeply who responded almost desperately. A blood chilling scream danced about them as a bright light scorched through his eye lids blinding him. He began to panic when all feeling left him, not the touch of her lips, nor the feel of her body in his arms. A strange warmth filtered though the coldness alleviating the frigid atmosphere. His own body felt numb almost weightless as the scream began to fade to nothing and he hesitantly opened his eyes.

The darkness had been replaced by a blinding whiteness that stung his eyes painfully. What the hell happened just now? His mind reeled as he tried to turn, but he had no idea if he was actually turning or not. There was no shadow or anything to indicate that he was in any space or dimension that was... real.

_Was that all there was too it?_The solution had been disarmingly simple and he huffed infuriated by the fact.

He jumped in shock when he turned around again and saw Sparrow standing a small distance away with her back to him. He tried calling out, but like when he was in the labyrinth of her mind, no sound escaped his mouth. However, it seemed she had heard him, because she turned to face him with a gentle smile her eyes shining with appreciation.

_Thankyou, _she mouthed, _Thank you … Robin._ Reaver gasped in shock and made to reach for her just as her image faded his fist gripping nothing, but air. He fumbled and fought even as his vision faded to black, his body going limp.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adrianna jumped as another pop wake her from the small nap. By now seven of the nine candles had gone out and all three of them were showing signs of fatigue. Adrianna sat up rubbing her eyes looking around in a confused fashion even though she knew where she was. She gazed down at poor Lorna who was bowed forward with her hair hanging limp in her face and she breathed heavily from strain of keeping up the constant harmony. Garth was the same though he was not hunched as far. His hands clenched and unclenched trying to keep his concentration. Adrianna felt sorry for them as they had been at it for a constant ten hours so far and it was early morning judging by the pale light that had began to filter through the curtains.

She sat up and stretched her stomach suddenly growling in protest as her hunger made it ache. She ignored it and stubbornly remained where she was shifting her muscles to ease the numbness that had begun to settle in.

Oota suddenly moved causing the young woman to become alert and tense. She watched the old man expectantly even as he just sat and stared at the bed with intent eyes, almost as if he was expecting something to happen. She continued to watch as he slid something from the inside of his sleeve. The eighth candle quickly extinguished sending alarm bells ringing though her mind when she noticed that it went out a bit too quickly.

Oota slowly stood with agonising slowness his chanting taking on a different tone as he advanced on the bed. Adrianna spied the last candle sat up on the head board above Sparrow's and Reaver's heads casting a gentle glow upon their faces. She gasped as the flame flickered growing dim then bright again as if it were fighting to keep alight. She watched it hope suddenly exploding in her chest as she constantly wished again and again that it would stay alight. She dreaded what would happen if it went out and refused to think about it.

Oota then raised his hand as he stood on Sparrow's side of the bed staring down at her, eyes calculating and intent. Adrianna tore her eyes from the flame reluctantly to watch Oota place something upon her neck in the small notch just at the bas of her throat between her collar bones. The small implement glinted sickly in the pale light and Adrianna stared in shock as he made a quick movement causing blood to gush over Sparrow's once pristine which bodice. She let out a squeal but as she stood to rush over she felt her limbs lock. Her eyes widened like a panic stricken animal as she found herself paralysed. She had no choice, but to stand and watch as blood continued to trickle from the incision... wait her blood was trickling. Adrianna had little knowledge of the human body, but she did know if a person's blood was leaking from a wound after they were pronounced dead then possibly, just possibly their heart was beating.

Her panicked expression turned to shock as something black was forcing its way through her skin causing the layer to pulse and bulge as it wriggled through. A tendril suddenly burst from the wound waving at the air and fear quickly consumed her as she watched it ease itself from the cut. A cruel grin suddenly appeared in Oota's silvery white beard as he gave the worm a quick flick sending it tumbling into the bowl of water. A loud hiss emanated from the bowl as thick black steam rose from the now tepid. The creature shrieked in pain as it thrashed about vainly in the water as it slowly dissolved till there was nothing, but small pieces of black flesh floating about upon the opaque liquids surface.

Oota seemed satisfied and place his hand over the small incision. When he removed his hand it was gone and Adrianna stumbled as she felt her limbs come back to life. Reaver suddenly sat bolt upright causing Adrianna to squeal with surprise. Reaver looked at her, then his eyes hesitantly trailed over Lorna, Garth, Oota and finally Sparrow. He knelt on the bed and looked down at Sparrow intently, tapping her face to encourage her to wake.

"Sparrow?" his voice sounded hoarse in his ears as he waited impatiently for her to respond, but nothing happened. He looked up at Oota almost accusingly.

"Why isn't se waking up!?" he demanded of the old man, "I did everything I was supposed to I … I think I saved her."

Oota returned the gaze levelly and sighed. "Reaver it maybe that she was just to weak," he finally said, "I'm sorry."

A weakness overcame Reaver and he slouched on the bed running a hand through his hair.

"So it was all for nothing," he whispered shaking his head in disbelief. Lorna slowly got up wobbling on her legs a little and tentatively approached the bed gripping the sheets as blood rushed back into her lower limbs.

"Reaver..." she reached out her small hand towards him but he waved her away.

"No, leave me alone," he groaned bowing his head in the knowing that all he had just went through had been all in vain. Every time someone he thought could have been the one person to save him they always ended up hurt. Was this part of the curse that the Shadow Court placed upon him? Was it some sick joke of some ones who so delighted in tormenting his already frozen heart?

Lorna rolled her eyes and peered at Sparrow who remained still. Throughout the whole thing she could feel Sparrow's spirit grow a little stronger as time had gone passed even though there had been times of doubt as the spirit flickered dangerously. Lorna could tell Sparrow was alive, maybe she just needed some rest. Then, just for a brief moment she thought she saw one of Sparrow's eyes open as the woman stirred.

Reaver jumped as Sparrow groaned and her eyes slowly opened blinking painfully. Reaver looked down at her his face mirroring shock as she looked back at him with a confused frown.

"Sparrow?" Reaver whispered tentatively feeling excitement causing butterflies to flutter madly in his stomach. She looked at him blinking gently.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked her voice raspy. A mixture of emotions rushed over Reaver's usually calm face ranging from relief, shock then anger as he growled a little in his throat. Sparrow suddenly began to giggle the sound punctuated by muffled groans as her body ached as it refusing to move.

"What!... you!... gaah!" the pirate grabbed his hair in exasperation, "I don't believe you, you infuriating woman!"

Sparrow began to laugh coughing and sputtering as she did so. The whole erupted into a chorus of hoots and shouts as Garth, along with Adrianna crowded the bed attempting to help her sit up, which she did so stiffly. Lorna stared at Sparrow her bottom lip starting to quiver and with a wail she leapt into the woman's arms in a flood of weeping brought on mainly by exhaustion and happiness at seeing Sparrow alive.

"Mama," she cried into the woman's shoulder, "I knew you were alive, I knew it!"

Sparrow blinked frozen suddenly as the words washed over her. She was not even sure if she had heard right as a lump suddenly rose to her throat. Her arms wrapped tightly about Lorna's murmuring reassurances as her heart was filled with an ecstasy that she had not felt in long time. Garth let out a bark of laughter and wagged a tired finger at Sparrow who peered at him with blurry eyes.

"You know this is becoming a dangerous habit of yours," he said shaking his head affectionately, "How many times does this make?"

Sparrow chuckled patting and stroking Lorna's back as the girl began to hiccup amongst sniffles. "I lost count," she said with a indifferent shrug.

Adrianna puffed out her cheeks angrily her dark eyes flashing. "What do you mean by that?' her voice going up a few octaves, "You've died before?"

Sparrow looked up at the dark skinned woman and smiled warmly. "Yeah, I suppose you could say that."

"You never told me," Adrianna whined crossing her arms indignantly.

"Well, I for one am glad that's over and done with," Reaver said with a tired sigh slipping so he sat on the bed and stretched out his legs leaning on his hands to stare at the ceiling. Sparrow turned her head to look at him curiously a light frown on her face. He returned the stare with one of indifference.

"Yes?"

"Nothing," Sparrow said leaning over and kissed him quickly on the cheek, "just, thank you."

Reaver's eyes widened and sudden grin appeared. He looked down at her with an eyebrow raised sending a bright blush over Sparrow's cheeks.

"Don't press your luck Reaver," she planted her hand on his face to push him away. Lorna giggled making Reaver pout as he pushed the hand away trying to kiss it, but before he could Sparrow snatched it back glaring balefully at him. He merely grinned and gave her a wink, but to his surprise she giggled before looking to Oota who coughed rather loudly.

"I hate to break up this happy moment, but it would seem we have something of importance to discuss," he said seriously looking at each person in turn, "First..." He pointed at Reaver trying to repress as smile, which made his moustache twitch, "...did you see anything embarrassing?"

Reaver looked up at Oota for a moment before a huge grin plastered across his face. An eruption of laughter rang again when Sparrow hit Reaver hard enough for him to fall off the bed.

"You dare say anything and I … I … will tell them what I saw!" she said indignantly and he shot up to glare at her.

"What... what did you see?" he asked a hint of fear in his tone. Sparrow merely smiled mysteriously and lifted her chin a little.

"Okay children, settle down," Oota laughed, "but on a more serious note we must discuss who the perpetrator was."

Silence fell as their minds tried to piece things together. Reaver frowned as he slid back onto the bed suddenly feeling very suspicious. His eyes trailed the room and he noticed the painting on the wall. A portrait of some important man, Reaver did not care, but he did notice that there was something wrong with the eyes. He turned to look at the others who watched him curiously.

"I think I might know," he admitted in a low voice.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry this one is a bit late lots of work as usual. The next one won't be up for a couple of weeks just warn ppl with my work load and all. Though I hope people enjoyed this chapter so read and review with any comments.


	22. Forgive me, please?

~~ **Warning this chapter contains a Lemon** ~~ Enjoy X3

Corban sat upon the metal railing of a balcony that overlooked one of the many palace indoor gardens, one leg dangling over the side. The walls surrounding the garden were riddles with similar balconies and galleries reminding the man of a cliff face filled with bird nests. The thought would of made him chuckle but his mind was filled with too many dark and angry thoughts to be of good humour. He peered down at the vast distance to the ground suddenly realising it would be so easy to just slip off and meet the ground, and then he would be the dark embrace of death free from this life that has haunted him so, he was allowed that was. The door behind him swung open with a dull creak and he did not look up even as slow footsteps approached him, then stopped not far from where he sat.

"What do you want?" he asked with a curt tone. The responding chuckle surprised the Samarkandian and he hazard to peer over his shoulder. Morzai stood straight back, with his hands folded calmly at the small of his back as his thin lips were curled in amusement.

"I think you know exactly what," was the smooth reply as Morzai stepped closer to the railing and peered down at the garden below. "Made a bit of a mess you know."

Corban growled deeply, his fingers cracked ominously as he flexed the long slender digits. Morzai inclined his head to regard the other man with a mild expression even as his lip remained in a mocking smirk.

"If you want to know the woman will survive," Morzai then said after an awkward silence and Corban felt his chest tighten with a flood of emotions making him gasp involuntarily. He looked away feeling marginally embarrassed by his sudden display of emotion, but he felt a wave of relief overcome him and he smiled grimly. "No doubt you could guess who is giving the helping hand." Morzai suddenly looked thoroughly displeased a reflection of his tone of voice. Corban tilted his head curiously though he said nothing. "That old man is quite the schemer, perhaps the only thing we have in common, but we all know what he is not as apposed to what he is."

"I hate riddles," Corban stated and Morzai chuckled again.

"Then I will keep this simple," Morzai turned to face his fellow Samarkandian with a dark serious expression, "The plan will go ahead as scheduled. I cannot accept any further failure or delays and I suppose neither will he."

Corban snarled and slid from the rail to tower over Morzai, his eyes glinting dangerously. Morzai merely stared back cooly his face betraying no hint of emotion. They glared at each other for what felt like moments before Corban backed away managing to gain control of himself.

"The plan will not fail," Corban assured though his voice sounded strained as if being forced from between his teeth. Morzai nodded and turned from Corban to walk to the partially open door.

"I trust he then will fulfill his promise?" Morzai then said stopping by the portal with his head inclined thoughtfully towards his chest. Corban looked across to him and nodded.

"Yes, I will make sure of it," Corban said crossing his arms lightly across his chest. A noise of contempt escaped Morzai a look of mistrust crossing his features.

"Your assurances are of little comfort to me," his tone was forlorn and it remained with Corban even as the older man left him with his thoughts once more.

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Sparrow watched as Lorna reluctantly followed Garth and Adrianna across the courtyard. She sighed tiredly and leaned heavily on a gnarled wooden cane given to her by the young Samarkandian woman. It appeared to have been made from a branch with the head expertly carved into the head of a bird with keen eyes and cruel looking curved beak. It was supposedly her mothers and Sparrow welcomed it gladly though it felt a bit too short for her, but it was better than nothing. The muscles in her legs had protested stubbornly when she tried to walk any further than a few metres,which annoyed her to no end as she was looking forward to seeing some of the festivities. As the party of three finally disappeared the smile that graced her lips faded leaving her looking tired and haggard.

It was the first time she felt old and she hated it. Her body responded slower than usual and even if Oota had reassured her that she will be back to normal in a few days she remained skeptical. She turned slowly and walked at a sedate pace down the corridor, the cane making an ominous clicking sound on the cold marble floor. She liked that sound. It made her feel almost official and noble. She chuckled at the bizarre thought that was quickly glossed over. She scowled lightly as the memories of what happened in the last twelve hours replayed themselves in one jumbled mass. All the while it kept focusing on Reaver. Even when her thoughts travelled to something else it made a full circle back to him again. She suddenly felt immense guilt as she remembered unwillingly what she had down to Reaver. Though what had surprised her most was he had done nothing to stop her and then had willingly put himself at risk to save her too.

She suddenly stopped as she then realised Reaver had done something uncharacteristically nice for someone else. She blinked several times and made a curious noise in her throat before continuing on her journey. It never occurred to her that him of all people had changed, if not just a little, but even that was an achievement in itself. She smiled gently and mentally told herself off for being sentimental. Hell, even he would tell her off for thinking in such away. She chuckled as she turned a corner and looked around before realising she had managed to get herself lost. Again.

A passing servant tentatively edged nearer the small woman's eyes were large as she ogled the warrior woman. Sparrow smiled warmly and gestured for the girl to come closer. The maid cautiously neared her looking as if one sound would make her bolt for safety.

"Could you help me, it would seem I have gotten myself lost," Sparrow said in a kind tone and the woman gave Sparrow a strange look. Sparrow berated herself when she realised that the girl did not understand a word she had just said. Kind of obvious really. Sparrow sighed and began gesticulating to convey she was lost and the girl eventually seemed to get the idea as she made a gesture for Sparrow to follow her. Sparrow smiled appreciatively and followed at a discreet distance as she got the feeling that the girl was fairly scared of her.

When the maid brought her to her door she smiled awkwardly and bowed before trotting off at a fast pace. Sparrow watched her leave with an amused smile and opened the door. The room was spacious and she was glad she was given a separate room though she did not know whether she was truly glad or marginally remorseful not being, so close to the Pirate. She shook her head to empty her head of such thoughts and meandered across an animal skin rug that lay not too far from a grand fire place then round the four poster bed to where a vanity table stood. With a sigh of relief she eased herself onto the stool that sat beside the table.

It had been along time she had felt this bad and that was when she had returned from the spire. It had taken her a long time to get over that ordeal both mentally and physically. She shuddered and leant the cane against the table then glanced at her reflection. She grimaced theatrically and leaned closer pulling at the skin under her eye, then released it watching it spring back into place.

"Dear Avo, you look like shit," she muttered to herself leaning back slightly as regarded her reflection with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. "You need a bath." She nodded to herself before getting up to find her towel.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Reaver meandered aimlessly around the halls and corridors out of sheer boredom. He had expected to see at least one of the others by now and wondered where everyone had gone too. He soon figured they may of gone off somewhere, as it was the day of this festival thing, and wondered who would still be here. The festival he did not cared for, but who may still be here was of particular interest. With a wicked grin he turned to go back the way he had come hoping, if this was the case, that Sparrow was still in her chambers. If she was indeed alone then this would be the perfect opportunity. He grinned broadly at the thought that he might even have all afternoon with the woman.

He contemplated the scenario as if it were like a puzzle, a problem that had do be solved as his mind conjured various ways to subdue the woman. He did not want her to get scared off as it was likely it may happen. After what had recently happened it was a possibility, but he believed he knew how to deal with any problems if they arose. If she did not put up some kind of resistance he would be disappointed as it was sometimes the foreplay that is the most fun. He found himself looking forward to the little encounter and wondered what the outcome maybe; a good one he hoped.

Before long he reached his destination and knocked on Sparrow's door before entering when he heard her voice call all out for him to enter. When he did he found her standing by her vanity table wrapped only in a soft, pale lavender towel leaning on a cane. Reaver stopped and peered at her curiously drinking up the image before him with a certain amount of delight. Sparrow looked at him with a start staring at him with a mixture of embarrassment and caution.

"Where is Lorna?" Reaver asked in a friendly looking about expecting the familiar little blonde blob to appear any moment.

Sparrow shifted uncomfortably and held the towel tighter to herself suddenly feeling very self concious of her body. She berated herself for forgetting that Reaver would still be in the palace as well as herself. She fought a shiver as his eyes looked her up and down, and he obviously did not bother to repress the lust that burned in the green orbs.

"Um well, she's with Garth and Adrianna," she hesitated to say biting her lip a little, "I thought you knew."

The pirate shrugged indifferently. "How long will they be gone?" Reaver then asked, a small smirk appearing as Sparrow shifted again in an uncomfortable manner.

"About late afternoon-ish," she replied as she began clenching her cane more out of security than support. The situation heavily reminded her of the incident in the bathing chambers and sorely hoped not to repeat it or did she. She mentally cursed herself for her current weakness as she would of forced Reaver from the room at this point, but something stayed her hand as he took a step closer.

"I see, and we are preparing for a trip to baths," Reaver noted in an off hand manner as he slowly approached the suspicious woman. Sparrow inched away from the pirate until she bumped into window sill with a small yelp.

"I...um... was thinking about it," she replied uncertainly feeling like a trapped animal and she grasped the cane tightly preparing to use it as weapon if necessary.

Reaver chuckled as he removed his gloves in a deliberate manner his eyes never leaving her face, but something poked him in the chest and he peered at the cane she had stuck between their persons to prevent him from getting any closer. A feeble barrier, Reaver thought as he ran a teasing finger along the polished wood.

"You know, I saw quite a few of your more... precious memoires," he said tilting his head as she stared at him curiously though her eyes remained suspicious.

"Oh? What did you see?" she asked her voice small as if afraid of his answer.

"Well, I have never seen a woman give birth before," he replied with a grimace and she giggled a little. Reaver then smirked as he took the small window of opportunity to flick the cane aside and he forcefully grabbed her around the waist, pushing her against the sill. She yelped as she stared heatedly at the man and the pirate grinned. "I also saw your first time too, under the full moon, some dirty little room in Bowerstone somewhere... all terribly romantic," he furthered to say as his eyebrow quirked and he pursed his lips causing his cheeks to pinch with distaste.

Sparrow glared at him and she weakly tried to push him off. "I don't believe you, you pervert!" she screeched thumbing him on the chest, "You saw that!?"

"Yes, among other things," the grin turned into a smirk as his hand reached down to grope her behind causing the woman to squeak again and squirm against him though she continued to glare at him indignantly.

"Reaver, those are my private memories," she hissed and Reaver rolled his eyes as he teased the skin just at the edges of the towel making the skin of her leg tingle.

"And the memories you saw weren't?" he suddenly asked catching her off guard for a moment. They stared at each other again a silence falling between them, green staring into blue. Sparrow refused to breath as she felt herself almost being drawn into the deep green abyss and then, as if involuntarily drawn, Reaver slowly leaned closer to brush his lips across hers causing the breath she had been holding to hitch in her throat. She made to move closer, but pulled back uncertainly, fear and confusion showing plainly in her bright blue orbs. Reaver took the opportunity to lay light butterfly kisses across her cheek as she turned her face from him the heat rising to illuminate her cheeks in a rosy red blush. His free hand traced the curvature of her towel covered body until it came to rest, cupping her breast, and he teased the mound with gently circular motions.

"Reaver..." she breathed as her aching body arched into his crying out for more, but even as her body said one thing her mind said another and she tried to weakly push him away. "Please don't," she pleaded as she bit her lower lip to stop the small moan that got stuck in her throat.

"Why?" he whispered huskily in her ear causing her to quiver in his arms giving his handful a quick squeeze, which earned him a small squeak, "I know you want me." He continued his barrage of kisses pausing only to nibble on the nape of her neck. With out warning she thumped him on the side of the head only enough for it to sting, but then that was all she could manage. He pulled back rubbing his ear casting her a dark incredulous look.

"What was that for?" he demanded and she puffed her cheeks in a stubborn manner.

"You're just taking advantage of me," she yelled thumping him on the chest again to make him let her go, which only resulted in him tightening his grip.

"Even if I was, you're enjoying it," he smirked and the look of distinct horror that crossed her face made the pirate laugh jovially. "Come on Sparrow what are you afraid of? Me? Surely not."

She suddenly looked away shame glossing her features and Reaver stared at her incredulously.

"You are," Reaver breathed in disbelief and he frowned questioningly. Why would she be afraid of him? Of all people to be afraid of him. The thought was both amusing and oddly curious, but seeing her distressed expression made his heart lurch painfully, though he tried to ignore the uneasy feeling that had began to slowly seep into him. Before he could inquire further she covered his mouth with her slender hand making the Pirate's eyes widen.

"Okay, I admit it, I am afraid of you! and yet... and yet I like you, but then I hate you," she growled her tone confused and one of Reaver's eyebrows rose inquiringly as she clenched her eyes shut so she did not have to see his face, "I hate it because you make me feel so confused when I am around you and yet when I look at you I want to either hit you or embrace you, and I want to embrace you not because you are handsome, there is no denying that you are, but because I want to forgive you for what you have done, but what scares me is I know if I do that, if I did embrace, you then I will... I will never be able to let you go."

Reaver removed the hand that covered his mouth staring at her disconcerted by what she had said. He smiled awkwardly suddenly unsure of what this strange feeling was that suddenly appeared, but what ever it was made him uneasy and yet he wanted to let it envelop him. The fact she was pressed against him delighted him, but he was uncertain as whether to pursue it further. Then his hand moved of its own volition and it cupped her cheek so that his thumb stroked her soft skin, which she hesitantly leaned into. He drew her closer so that his lips brushed her ear.

"I wouldn't want you too," he whispered and her eyes shot wide open. "Please be the one to forgive me." Slowly she turned to look at the pirate and she frowned gently her brow wrinkled with mute confusion. Reaver merely smiled drawing her close again and locked her lips in a tender yet deep kiss. Sparrow froze for a moment, surprise gripping her, before she relaxed against his lean body as she hesitantly returned the kiss. The cane clattered noisily to the floor as Sparrow released it to circle both her arms about his neck forgetting about both the branch of wood and the flimsy towel that was the only thing covering her body.

Reaver let his hands roam the slender body before dropping his gloves idly on the floor while his deft fingers unlatched his cloak letting it follow suit along with both his belts. With gentle encouragement Reaver guided Sparrow's form over towards the bed as he slid with practised ease from his boots. He then turned his attention back to Sparrow as his hands slid their way to grope her behind and pull her against him. She gasped, then moaned as he began to nibble and suck the naked flesh of her shoulder. Her heart slowly pounded in her chest and the sound of her breath hitching in her throat excited him more causing the aching in his loins to grow almost painfully.

Sparrow felt uncertainty again even as Reaver's hands slid between gap of her towel to reach up and grope her bare breast where he tweaked her nipple. This caused a mewl like sound to escape that made Reaver grin. She pouted in an offended manner, but her eyes widened as she felt the towel fall from her body leaving her naked and trembling. With a deliberate slowness Reaver pushed Sparrow upon the bed where she lay quivering with expectation. She suddenly grew angry again at how foolish she had been allowing the pirate manipulate her so, but Reaver bit down on the soft flesh of her shoulder making her yell in pain, loosing momentary thought.

With meticulous care Reaver licked the small bite before he began to travel down the woman's body kissing and leaving small bite marks upon her peachy skin causing her to gasp and moan quietly. She squirmed as she watched him move further over her stomach, but pulled away at the last minute leaving her core throbbing with want. She quivered with the unexpected reactions of her body and she found herself craving more. She had only slept with two people in her life and she had not wanted this as much as she did now.

She blushed as watched him playfully remove his tie, then jacket and finally his shirt throwing them on the floor and exposing his lightly toned torso. Upon seeing it she wanted to reach out and run over hands over the tanned flesh, and he grinned wickedly upon seeing her eyes stare at him with undisguised desire. It was a sight he had waited for a long time and he took a moment to savour it as she looked up at him with darkened, heavy lidded eyes. Then he hesitated for a brief moment before leaning over her body.

He clasped his mouth to hers in a bruising and passionate kiss, which she was all to happy to reciprocate pulling his body closer to hers, her flesh crying for contact. Electrical shivers ran through her body reminding her just how starved her body was as their tongues danced tasting each other, eliciting light sensual moans from their throats as they continued their passionate onslaught.

Reaver broke the kiss, breathing deeply to regain oxygen for his starved lungs and looked down at the panting Sparrow who clutched at his shoulders with a sort of desperation he knew she would never admit. He drunk in the sight of flushed cheeks, kiss swollen lips and lust filled gaze before attacking her neck with nibbles and light sucks as his hands glided over her body gently caressing the more sensitive areas of skin causing her to gasp breathlessly and squirm against him. He moved her legs so he knelt between them and kicked his trousers away to finally free his aching member. He shivered a little as the cooler air of the room touched the taught flesh and Sparrow's eyes were staring at it with a mixture of surprise and anxiety.

As a way of comforting her he kissed her gently allowing the tip of his member to run along and tease her folds. She gasped into the kiss trying to suppress a moan knowing her body wanted more than just a tease. Reaver grinned continuing to kiss her already swollen mouth while his hands encouraged her legs to part wider stroking the soft sensitive flesh of the underside of her thighs before bringing up one hand to slip a couple of fingers inside her hot core to make sure she was sufficiently wet. She moaned into the kiss as he worked the digits deeper causing her hips to buck. He soon withdrew the fingers running them along the folds to taunt the small bud sending tantalising waves of pleasure coursing through her body making her write and moan.

She rocked her hips towards him trying to cause more friction between their bodies, but he grinned evilly planting his other hand on her hip to keep her from moving and she pouted. He brought up his slicked fingers and smirked as she watched him lick his fingers. Her eyes widened as she watched him lick the digits clean and she shuddered, with a mixture of disgust and fascination, at the thought of how she may taste. He chuckled again kissing her fiercely allowing her to snake her arms about his neck once more. He took hold of his member to gently guide it towards the target and slid with deliberate slowness inside of her pausing just long enough for her to allow her to adjust. Her body trembled against him her breath hitching in her throat.

"Reaver," she moaned breathlessly as he began to move slowly bringing his full member out till only the tip of his shaft remained inside before diving back, repeating the process over and over. Sparrow let out a cry of pleasure as she moved against him, gripping his body so tightly her finger nails raked the skin leaving deep scratches that made the Pirate moan in her ear in both pain and pleasure. He buried his face into the crook of her neck nuzzling slightly; the feeling of his panting and hot breath on her skin along with the sensuous moans in her ear turned Sparrow on even more the burning in her lower region intensifying with each thrust.

As he moved with growing fervour he slipped his hands behind her knees to bring them up so he could drive deeper into her core. She moaned and screamed with pleasure calling the Pirates name, her hands clutching at the silk sheets as pleasure caused her body to tremble under his relentless bombardment.

She was lost in the sensations of her body as she neared the precipice of her climax, but then she gasped as Reaver moved to change his position and she glared half heartedly for ruining the momentum. He moved so he knelt, leaning over her, with one hand supporting his weight, and her left leg hooked over it whilst his other arm had the other leg hooked over it. He grinned down at her surprised by her flexibility and his eyes roamed over her now flushed skin, the flesh covered in a sheen of sweat from the effort and he leaned down to kiss Sparrow passionately. From his renewed position he pounded her hot core as fast as his hips would allow causing his member to reach deeper than before.

She screamed in surprise her body jolting from the force as he repeatedly dove in and out with small grunts escaping him. Sparrow's screams grew in intensity as her climax breached causing her toes to curl with pleasure, her body tensely shuddered and the muscles deep inside her clenched about the member that continued to drive back and forth. Reaver let loose a cry mingled with the woman's screams as he came hard, in an explosion of pleasure, continuing thrust until her core had milked him completely.

The pirate blinked as sweat threatened to invade his eyes and glanced down at Sparrow who panted heavily her eyes closed as if peacefully asleep, but then her eyes lids slipped open to peer up at him sheepishly. She suddenly turned away eliciting a small moan as he withdrew from her body leaving a dull ache between her legs. It was a feeling she had grown unaccustomed too and she suddenly blushed furiously at the realisation covering her face with a pillow.

Reaver chuckled in amusement as he leaned on his elbow and tugged the pillow playfully so he could see her embarrassed expression. She was resistant, but he proved too persistent and the pillow came away, but refused to look him in the face as she pouted slightly.

"What's wrong now?" Reaver asked in a slightly annoyed tone though he still grinned boyishly.

Sparrow quickly glanced at him from the corner of her eye before covering her face. She wanted to roll over away from him, but the weight of his body was still on her preventing her from doing so.

"I can't believe we just did that," she stated in firm disbelief covering her face with her hands. Reaver laughed playfully trying to pull her hands away so he could see her face. This resulted in a hefty slap across the chest as they play fought on the bed. "Have you no shame!!"

"Probably not," He shrugged, "but if I did this wouldn't be as much fun." He sniggered and lent down to gently bite her stomach causing the woman to squeal. He then nibbled the skin sending her into fits giggles.

"Stop, please that tickles," she gasped through stifled laughter trying to push him away. Reaver smirked and went to kiss her, but she blocked him by pressing her forearm to his chest. Though she looked amused she struggled to regain her composure. "I said stop you damned pirate. What if someone comes."

"Well you said it yourself didn't you," Reaver replied his smirk turning sly, "that the others will be gone till this evening, so we have the all afternoon to ourselves. And if a servant comes in well... they can watch if they like, or join us."

He grinned when she immediately protested against the idea. She squirmed and wriggled as she fought to push him off, which he resisted for no other reason than to enjoy the brief tussle.

"Get off me, I need a bath," she growled resorting to kicking the man until he eventually relented. He rolled to his side and watched as she slid to the edge of the bed. She cast him a reproachful glare over her shoulder and he gave her a saucy wink. She huffed and made to stand managing to stand straight despite the stiffness of her limbs. She winced as she took a few steps towards where the cane lay on the floor, the bird looking her in an almost offended manner. She rolled her eyes as she felt Reaver's eyes continue to watch her and she eased herself to stand straight. She glared at him again as we walked over to pick up her towel.

"Do you have to keep staring!?" she demanded indignantly and he chuckled.

"Leave me alone, I'm enjoying the view," he replied loftily stretching out on the bed and rest his hands on his stomach. Sparrow sighed and rewrapped herself before taking from a hook a bath robe. "You know seeing as your going to the baths I might as well join you."

Sparrow turned to regard Reaver steadily. "I'm not fooling for that one," she stated sliding the robe on and tying at the waist.

"Fine then," Reaver pouted staring at the ceiling as his main source of entertainment had been denied him, "I will just remain here... naked... until some hapless servant enters. I wonder what Adrianna would say, hmm now there's a thought."

Sparrow spun round her face flushed a dark crimson as she glowered at the Pirate.

"You touch Adrianna and I swear I will beat you to a pulp!" she growled and Reaver peered at her mildly with his head tilted to the side as if he were examining a curious object.

"My Sparrow, was that a threat?" he asked, smirking, "But I am curious..."

"Don't go there Reaver," Sparrow snapped turning towards the bedroom door. Reaver merely watched her with a silly smile as he began drumming his fingers upon his torso. The room remained silent as Sparrow stood rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Fine! Just don't do anything funny," she begged turning to regard the pirate with an exasperated sigh. Reaver flashed her a cheeky grin bouncing off the bed with a level of exuberance than made her groan inwardly. Damn him and his boundless energy, she cursed mentally as he approached her and snaked his arms about her waist.

"Define funny," he asked with a low growl nuzzling her neck. Sparrow sighed and removed his hands. She opened the door a small crack and turned to look at him with her chin held imperiously in the air.

"When it suits you I will be in the baths," she huffed and left the room leaving him to listen to echoes of her walking stick as it clicked against stone floor. The door snapped shut behind her and he let loose a breath he did not even know he was holding. His eyes travelled to the ceiling with an amused look.

"How did her former husband put up with that," he asked to no one in particular. He turned slightly and saw his shadow that turned a little towards him. All of a sudden the shadow gave him a thumbs up. Reaver rolled his eyes and turned back to look for his clothes.

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A/N Well long time no see and I apologise for that. I finished Uni last week and because it has been a long time since my last chapter it was hard to get into the swing of things, no pun intended. As you could imagine this chapter took a while to write and I wanted to include a bit more, but I was just not feeling it as it were. I wanted to write something a little special for you readers for being patient with me and it actually is necessary to the plot believe it or not XD

Despite this... set back, I will thank all those who reviewed. They were very encouraging and I enjoyed reading them, so keep them coming. If there are any words of criticism don't be afraid to say, but if want to flame be prepared to be laughed at. Hard.

Anyway read and review and the next chapter should be along soon. X3


	23. The Summer Festival Gala Crash

Lorna had never been to a festival before and she had enjoyed immensely. There was just so much to do in so little time that she wished she could stay there forever. Every where she looked were people dressed in bright colours, fantastic costumes and it delighted her. It was just such a shame it had to come to an end. For her at least as she would not be allowed to be at the ball that evening. She thought it was distinctly unfair, but it was adults only so she began to think that maybe it was best not to go. Adults can do the strangest things when they started drinking that stuff that always left a burning in her throat. Personally she did not like it, but then adults were adults, and she did not even bother to try and figure them out.

What she did have that pleased her most was a fair sized bag filled with sweets. Garth had initially protested when she began to collect the sweets in a bag, but Adrianna had wholeheartedly helped the small girl. This caused a small amount of tension between the two adults who remained silent as they approached the palace often shooting glares at each other as they walked.

Lorna looked up at both of them, Garth looking a little annoyed and Adrianna rather bored. Lorna smiled in a bemused fashion. She could not wait to get back to the palace and tell Sparrow what she had done. She hugged the bag close to her self feeling incredibly happy, but what would have made the afternoon perfect is if Sparrow had been there to share it with her. Lorna sighed knowing that things did not always work out the way she wanted.

They quickly made their way through the halls and Lorna took the lead by skipping down the corridor. She just could not wait to tell Sparrow about the colourful clowns, the wonderful dancers and most of all the people that handed out free sweets. When they reached Sparrow's room Lorna was the first to bounce into the chamber.

"Mama, Mama, look what I have!" she crowed, but then she paused and blinked looking around the room before her eyes fell on the dishevelled bed where a musing Reaver lounged flicking through a book. He peered at her the corners of his lips curling in amusement. Lorna tilted her head blinking at the Pirate owlishly.

"Where's Mama?" she asked curiously as Garth and Adrianna entered after. They both stopped short when they saw Reaver who had begun to grin broadly.

"Where's Sparrow?" Garth inquired and Lorna pouted.

"I just asked that," she said in a small indignant voice.

"She will be back in a moment," Reaver replied flicking a page idly, "She said something about going for a walk because I am an insufferable prick."

"Reaver, mind your language," Adrianna scolded and Reaver laughed. He shrugged and returned to the book.

"She will be back in a bit I'm sure."

Adrianna scowled and folded her arms in annoyance. She turned to look at Garth who shrugged though his lips twitched with repressed amusement. An awkward silence fell when, with out warning, the door opened and Sparrow shuffled in, her cane clicking against the stone floor with an irritated resonance.

"I swear, if those servants keep looking at me like that I will start throwing things," she growled, "That will give them something to be afraid of."

She looked up as she swung the door shut behind her, her eyes growing wide when she realised who was in the room. She suddenly broke into a broad smile and with a squeal Lorna jumped into the awaiting arms that enfolded the small girl.

"When did you get back?" Sparrow asked curiously as she cradled the girl against her hip.

"Just now," Lorna said before looking suspiciously at Reaver, "though I didn't think he would be here, he said you called him a insufferable prick."

Sparrow's jaw dropped as she glanced with a horrified expression at Reaver who remained nonchalant as he continued to flick through the book.

"I did no such thing!" she protested, and Reaver smile coyly, "and I would appreciate it if you did not say such things in front of Lorna!"

"Why? you just threatened to throw things at innocent servants," Reaver retorted with a small shrug not bothering to look up.

"That's different, I didn't swear," was the heated reply as Sparrow's cheeks tainted a slight pink, "Plus I didn't know she was in here." She swept stray strands of hair from Lorna's face in affectionate gestures as Adrianna shifted a little uncomfortably and she looked to Sparrow with a calculating look.

"Well, this is all well and good," she said patting down her skirts, "but we should be getting ready for the party it will be starting in a few hours, which would make it about sunset." She smiled brightly, but also hopefully. Garth seemed to get the hint, but Reaver remained where he lay regarding her with a mild expression. "Well that was a hint for you too."

"Why, I could stay and give my well sort after opinion," the pirate replied. Adrianna rolled her eyes and planted her hands on her hips. Lorn a looked up at Sparrow thoughtfully.

"Can I stay and help Mama ? I want to see your dress," she asked with a sweet smile and Sparrow patted her head in silent permission and the woman nodded.

Reaver got up from the bed taking the hint and peered down at Lorna who playfully poked her tongue out at the pirate who replied by making a funny face. He looked to Adrianna with a pout.

"But she gets to stay so why can't I?" he asked indignantly sounding much like a sulky child. Adrianna was about to retort when Sparrow placed a hand on Reaver's shoulder to give it a small squeeze so that he looked at her.

"I want it to be a surprise," the woman said her cheeks flushing slightly, "And it would spoil the surprise if you were here to see it now wouldn't it."

Reaver appeared to think about it and slowly nodded his head a cheerful grin appearing. "I like surprises, but only nice ones," he said and Sparrow could not help but smile. Adrianna narrowed her eyes sensing something she could not quite put her finger on as the two adults looked at each other. A surprisingly soft expression appeared upon Reaver's handsome face and he ambled towards the door where Garth waited with an amused smile.

When the door snapped shut Adrianna all but pounced on Sparrow with a small squeal a she began to demand what had happened in the time that they were down at the festival. Sparrow gave Adrianna a mixed expression of shyness mingled with annoyance. She was not particularly willing to tell her everything that happened, well at least not with Lorna in the room. Sparrow shook her head and refused to say anything. In the corridor Reaver and Garth slowly made their way to their own chambers not too far away, and Garth looked to Reaver who had an expression resembling a kitten that just got away with stealing the cream.

"Okay what did you do?" he asked the pirate who grinned broadly.

"Oh nothing much," Reaver said putting an arm about Garth's shoulders in a friendly fashion and the look on the mage's face was deeply suspicious, "and, Garth ol'boy, I believe you owe me money."

Garth's eyes widened. "Oh, what for?" the tone was confused and extremely cautious. Reaver's grin grew sly and he chuckled.

"Well, let me tell you a story," the pirate said as they disappeared from the corridor and all that could be heard echoing down the corridor was the sound of Garth's shocked voice.

"Oh bloody hell!"

When the servants finally arrived with her garments the process of dressing began. Overall, Sparrow liked the style of clothing. It was simple and yet the patterning was elegant. All it really consisted off was a cropped top, coloured a rich red, that exposed the belly from the tip of the sternum down, with short sleeves that came to just above the elbow. Yet there was a band that ran the underside of her breasts causing them to look rather prominent with the fabric covering the ribs to become loose and flowing like a small skirt. This loose fabric had two layers the top a rich red while the bottom layer was cyan coloured and was a flimsy veil like fabric with a translucent quality. The neck line was 'v' shaped and lined with pearly white beads set upon a cyan coloured trim. The skirt that sat upon her hips exposing her belly with an underskirt of the same flimsy material as on her top. The trim and accents of the dress were made in this same cyan material with pearl like beads sewn to the garments to form exotic floral patterns, simple yet tasteful. To Sparrow's delight it came with a matching sash that was long enough and wide enough to wrap about her body nearly twice over.

As Sparrow put on the garment she marvelled how silky the cloth felt to the touch and she stood lost in thought as she walked in circles to get a feel for the outfit. Lorna and Adrianna sat on the bed watching before they looked to each other with wide eyes. Adrianna tried hard not to laugh as Lorna looked confused. Lorna opened her mouth as if to say something, but was unsure of whether to or not.

"Um Mama?" Sparrow looked down at Lorna curiously and the little girl frowned, "Um, what are those red marks on your tummy and why does it look like some one has bitten you?"

The look of horror that cross Sparrow's face sent Adrianna into a fit of laughter. The distressed woman turned to regard herself in the mirror and nearly screamed in shock. _Why had she not seen them before, _she thought furiously to herself.

"I'm gonna kill him!" she hissed quietly as Adrianna lay on the bed consumed in her laughter.

"Kill who Sparrow?" she asked and Sparrow spun round her face instantly matching her outfit as her cheeks became aflame with embarrassment. She turned away muttering to herself ignoring the snorts and guffaws behind her.

"What am I going to do?" Sparrow asked with a panic evident voice as she glanced pleadingly over at Adrianna who stood reigning in her giggles with great difficulty, "seriously, Adrianna I can't go with these exposed."

Adrianna sighed and pondered managing to look serious though she hiccuped slightly. "Well we could try make up, I believe I have something that could cover them."

Sparrow's eyes widened. "But... what if during the dancing the make up comes off," she said her fingers raising to her mouth as she instinctively went to bite them.

Adrianna pulled the woman's fingers away from her mouth. "Don't be silly, this make up is meant to stay on … well, its more paint than makeup, but it should still do the trick, wait here," Adrianna instantly disappeared into the corridor to rush off to her rooms. When she returned she held a palette and some small pots, which Sparrow regarded dubiously.

"No let me just mix the right colour for your skin tone and we will be away," the younger woman said in a perky tone, but Sparrow looked unamused by the whole venture. She clenched her eyes tight as she felt the cold wet paint touch her skin and Adrianna worked it with the soft brush. Sparrow shuddered as Adrianna mused over how well the paint matched and the brush tickled her skin.

When she was done Sparrow looked in the mirror and gaped. The red marks had all but disappeared and a passer by would not notice the patches. She ran her hand over her skin with a grin. However, the thought of letting Reaver have what was coming to him was prevalent in her mind. Adrianna stood up and smiled brightly.

"Right, now we go to my chambers, get my dress on and then we take a trip to see my make up artists and hair stylist," she said with a cute giggle and Sparrow stared at her blankly.

"Make up artist?" she asked confused, "I have never heard of such a thing."

Adrianna grinned. "Come on time's getting on."

"Wait for me outside, I'm just going to talk to Lorna quickly," Adrianna nodded and closed the door behind her as Sparrow knelt beside the young girl.

"You look really pretty Mama," she said with a small, shy smile and Sparrow patted her head.

"Thank you dear, now when the old man gets here you are to behave," Sparrow said in a serious voice as she took a hankerchief, licked a corner and proceeded to clean a speck of dirt off of the girls cheek. Lorna let out a squeak and shrugged Sparrow off who grinned.

"You don't need to tell me Mama, I always do," Lorna protested and Sparrow affectionately kissed her on the forehead.

"I know dear," she stood up and quickly hugged her, "Now remember to stay here and you will be safe okay."

The little girl nodded and watched as Sparrow left the room. Sparrow gave the small girl a quick wave which Lorna returned, but when the door closed her smile disappeared. Her hands flopped to her side as a small frown creased her young features. She was pleased that Sparrow was so happy, but why did she have this really bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She sighed and picked up her bag of sweets, then dumped them on the animal skin rug. She trotted into her room and returned with a large book nearly half her body in height, then set it down so she could flick through it while popping the sweet little balls in her mouth to wait for Oota to turn up.

The fire in the hearth crackled merrily as Lorna continued to read through the vast volume before her nose. The sweets had started to make her feel somewhat sick and she had pushed them away. Music and laughter filtered up to her through the open windows and she got up curiously to see what was going on. Couples and small groups of people milled around the garden below as the twilight sky above darkened accentuating the glow of the lights that had been set up to keep the garden alight.

Lorna sighed and looked at the sky. It had been ages since Sparrow left with no sign of Oota showing up. As she began to wonder where he was the door behind her squeaked open. Hoping it was him she spun round to greet the old man, but as she did so her eyes widened. Before she could scream a dark cloth was flung over her face and the sound of her wail was muffled by the dense covering. The shadowy figure tore her from her feet to sling her over their shoulder and quickly left the room leaving it silent and bare.

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Reaver sighed as he stood next to Garth as they waited in the main hall. He was dressed much like many of the men that were entering the hall. It was a simple rich red dress tunic that was loose, with a pale yellow sash that sat about his waist, a pair of red trousers and a pair of slipper like shoes. He had decided to for go the hat as he did not want to squash his hair. He had, however, liked the look of the single gold hoop that he had seen many of the men wear. When he went to see if anyone could do this for him he received some strange looks, but he insisted by threatening them with a bullet between the eyes; that never fails to get a person going. He did not, however, realise what was involved in have an ear pierced until it was too late, but he did like the end result and he idly played with the thin gold hoop even if it caused a measure of discomfort.

Garth eyed him curiously and spotted the hoop with a wry smile.

"What ever possessed you to get an earring especially one like that?" the mage asked incredulously as his eyes swept over the buffet table on the far side of the room hungrily.

"I liked the look of it, what's the problem," the Pirate retorted hotly as his hand automatically rest on the hip his gun sat hidden beneath his tunic. Though guests were not allowed weapons in the main hall he thought, what the guards do not know will not hurt them. At least not immediately.

A small coy smile appeared on Garth's lips. "Well...," he paused and looked at Reaver before stifling a a laugh with a cough, "it indicates how many wives you have or had."

Reaver stopped playing with the hoop and his eyes slowly widened. The green orbs slid to the stoic mage who watched the in coming crowds expectantly.

"You cannot be serious?" Reaver demanded indignantly and he glared at the Mage accusingly. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!?"

Garth sighed inwardly. "For one I did not know," he replied calmly, "second it was your own naivety that caused you to blindly pierce your own ear with out finding out first what cultural significance it may have."

Reaver scoffed and tossed his head in a aloof manner. "Why should such things mean anything to me?" the pirate replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Well, you will find no women will actually approach you for a start," Garth said and Reaver's eyes widened once more at the implications. Not that it really worried him much there was always the men he surmised. He began to ponder this, but then Garth nudged him with his elbow causing to Reaver to scowl lightly in irritation, he did so hate having his trail of thought interrupted. However, he was glad he was as his eyes beheld a sight that caused a wave of excitement to flood through him.

As soon as Sparrow walked through the door it was almost as if the sun had risen especially to illuminate and greet this goddess, was the thought that came to Reaver's mind. He made a special note to write that down the next chance he had; he liked the sound of it. He did not move as Sparrow swept into the room with Adrianna at her side looking especially lovely, but Reaver paid her no mind. His eyes roamed Sparrow's figure almost lustily and Garth shifted a little uncomfortably.

"Do you have to stare at her like that in public," Garth said hotly as he tried to look elsewhere but Reaver's expression.

The pirate laughed, but ignored the comment as he took a few tentative steps towards Sparrow who peered up at him from under dark eyelashes. It was the first time he had seen her with make up and he must say the green rather suited her. It was quite the contrast to her own bright blue eyes that stared at him with doe like apprehension.

"Sparrow," he greeted with a slight bow and in response she curtsied.

"Reaver," she replied and her eyes flickered to his ear a curious expression appearing, "earring?"

"Don't ask," he stated offering his arm to her. She giggled slightly and wrapped her arm about his willingly leaving Adrianna with Garth. The dark skinned woman looked at Garth with her dark brown eyes her face expressionless as she regarded him. Garth sighed and held out his arm like Reaver had done. Adrianna grinned and giggled cheekily as Garth then lead her into the ensuing mass of people who laughed and talked in small groups. The room was filled with a buzz of excitement and a listless sense of anticipation.

The vast hall was decorated with vast amounts of colourful exotic flowers sat upon the walls with vines tracing from one bunch to the next. Candles danced above the guests swirling on tides of magic that suspended them in mid-air. An orchestra sat patiently waiting tuning their instruments beside a podium. Two figures could be seen beside it conversing as the crowd largely ignored the orchestra.

Sparrow stood beside Reaver with a cup of wine in her hand as she nervously waited. Many a young man cast her saucy winks and suggestive glances, but all were met with stony glances from Reaver who hovered like a vulture intent on keeping his prize to himself. She hated to admit it but his presence was comforting. Knowing she may not get molested in any fashion was a great relief due in part to the fact Reaver's demeanour cast an aura of 'approach and die'. The thought brought a smile to her face and Reaver glanced to her curiously, but she shook her head looked towards the podium which seemed to be the thing attracting most attention as people seemed to wait for something.

The lights suddenly dimmed and the chattering roar died to mere whispers as a single point of light focused upon the podium. The solemn figure of Morzai strode to the centre of the platform and glanced about at his guests at first stoic but a genuine smile soon appeared.

-Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to this years Summer Festival Gala,- He shouted to the appreciative audience, Reaver whispered the translation into Sparrow's ear as the man spoke -It gives me great pride to announce this year's special guest's Reaver and Sparrow, two great heroes from Albion!-

A spotlight fell upon the shocked Sparrow and Reaver grinned waving to the crowd as they were applauded leaving Sparrow to blink shyly closing the gap between her and the Pirate.

Reaver put an arm about the woman's waist. "Smile dear," he whispered with out hardly moving his lips, "You have just been made the life of the party."

A sense of dread engulfed the warrior woman and knew from that statement that she will spend most of the evening answering silly repetitious questions about her life in Albion.

-And the Famous Garth of the Mages, Rescuer of the Ten Maidens of Meises, Slayer of the Great Varla Beast and the man responsible for magics that allow for such pleasant light shows as fireworks. Wasn't that nice of him my dear subjects-

The statement received many a laugh and a grand applaud as another spotlight picked out Garth's form in the crowd not to far from where Sparrow stood, and she feel Reaver seethe. She glanced at the Pirate out of the corner of her eye thoughtfully.

"Jealous?" she whispered and Reaver scowled.

"Never!" He tossed his head and as he took a long draft of wine leaving Sparrow giggling quietly. Garth tipped his head in recognition of the the applause looking somewhat embarrassed by the attention.

-Now, as always enjoy yourselves, celebrate the gifts given to us by the gods and above all … no accidents please that was quite a trial last year.-

There was a wave of raucous laughter and Morzai excused himself from the podium as the crowd clapped and whistled leaving a woman to ascend it waiting for the orchestra. The lights faded back and the orchestra struck up a bouncy tune that the woman's voice joined in a pleasant song that Sparrow did not understand. People immediately took to dancing and Sparrow watched apprehensively as they whizzed past in exuberant displays. Reaver seemed to note this and leaned into the woman as he squeezed her about the middle.

"Aww is the little Sparrow scared?" he asked and she shot him an angry glare.

"I don't do dancing," she insisted with a huff. Reaver chuckled in her ear and she growled lowly in her throat.

"Such a pretty wall flower its a shame you won't dance," he said before letting go, "As for me I intend to have fun, so you just stay there and watch." He flashed her a challenging grin before making his way into the crowd and spotting a young hopeful. He approached the small dark skinned woman with charm set to full as he smiled down at her and offered her his hand. The young woman giggled and took the hand. She was instantly swept away to join the frenzied dance whilst Sparrow looked on with her face rigid with shock feeling like her security had just melted away leaving her exposed.

Sparrow suddenly downed the last drop of wine in her cup and squeezed it. "I'll show him that ungracious bastard!" she muttered to herself. As she was about to go retrieve herself some more wine to help boost her confidence she felt a shy tap on her shoulder. She turned to be greeted with a tall handsome young man with soft brown eyes. He coughed a little and bowed.

"It ...is a pleasure to meet you," he said in an unsure accent, "I am Adrianna brother, older, my name Gravern... um, dance? Would like to dance?"

Sparrow glanced at the swirling crowd with a thoughtful expression before she smiled. And nodded taking the offered hand.

"I would just Love to dance," she replied and the young man grinned. Sparrow eyed him in an almost calculating manner. "You are one of Adrianna's many brothers?"

He nodded as he apprehensively copied the movements of the dancers about him and she allowed him to lead. She smiled almost darkly as she caught sight of Reaver getting cuddly with the young woman he was with. Sparrow felt that pang of jealousy and wrapped an arm about Gavern's neck.

"I heard so much about you," she said fluttering her make up heavy eyelashes, "But I'm sure its not true." She giggled as look of annoyance fluttered across the young man's face.

Despite Sparrow's previous feelings of apprehension on the dancing vanished as she found herself coming to enjoy it more and more. It was not like it was back home with an almost regimented feel with exact steps that everyone had to do or it would not be proper. This type of dancing reminded her more of the Gypsies and a pang of home sickness appeared. She had been away from home so long she missed it terribly.

She managed to convince Gavern to allow her to sit down to catch her breath. Her legs were beginning to feel wobbly from the excessive exercise and she was beginning to find it hard to breath somewhat. She felt tired and the evening had only just begun. Annoyance crept over her as she picked at some food that Gavern brought her. She looked up as Adrianna approached with a broad smile as she spied her brother. She gave him a warm hug before looking to Sparrow whose face had grown somewhat pale.

"Oh Gavern what have you done to her?!" she demanded in a teasing fashion and Gavern raised his hands defensively.

"Nothing," he protested, "We danced and she feel tired!"

Adrianna smiled at her brother who rolled his eyes in exasperation. The young woman returned back to Sparrow with a worrying expression and put a hand to Sparrow's forehead. Adrianna frowned and grabbed a chair so she could sit.

"Are you really feeling okay?" she asked and Sparrow smiled kindly.

"Yes dear," she said patting the girls knee, "I'm fine, just a little tired is all. Let me sit have a bite to eat and I will be up and raring to go again."

"Up and ready to annoy Reaver?" Adrianna suddenly giggled and Sparrow glanced out of the corner of her eye.

"I have no idea what you mean," she said as a coupe of people passed whispering to each other eyeing Sparrow curiously.

"Sure you don't," Adrianna muttered, "You should of seen the looks he was giving poor Gavern. Think he almost dropped his drink one time. Liandra was not amused I can tell you."

"Liandra?" Sparrow asked her voice going up a notch.

Adrianna nodded smoothing out her blue skirts. "Yes, thats the girls name, daughter of... so and so and to be honest you probably don't care," she said as Sparrow's eyebrow rose.

The younger woman giggled. "Well, I will leave you too to... stimulating conversation," she said with a grin before it disappeared becoming one of annoyance, "and I'm going to find Garth." She pouted then looking sulkily to the woman who stared curiously. "He disappeared on me."

Sparrow laughed heartily and patted Adrianna's shoulder. "I'm sure you will find him," she said with a knowing smile. She looked up at Gavern who was listening intently as if trying to figure out what they were saying. He tilted his head a fraction peering at Sparrow with a confused frown. She replied with a smile and shrugged as Adrianna vanished into the crowd.

As soon as she was gone a body took the place of the chair and she peered up half expecting Reaver, but to her surprise another young man appeared with a cup filled with wine. She accepted the offering and took a sip as she looked to Gavern with a coy smile. She was going to enjoy this, she thought.

The longer Sparrow sat the more men she found herself surrounded by. It came as a complete surprise as she was so used to being the one unnoticed at the edge of the room in the shadows. Usually where she liked it. However, this sudden attention left her feeling both embarrassed and somewhat gratified by the fact that men wanted to talk to her. She cast them sultry glances and fluttered her eyelashes here and there, which worked wonders much to her delight.

Within the dancing crowd Reaver dragged the semi drunk female with him as he caught glances out of the corner of his eye. At first he did not notice Sparrow was actually dancing till she happened to pass him and his current dancing partner, and shouted something his way. He looked up sharply to see her waltz away laughing. Since then his demeanour had soured some what and he could tell by the way she flirted with group of gentlemen that it was deliberate. He kept a vigil watch as he waltzed not to far away like a prowling shark swinging backwards and forwards with the woman with him humming and laughing contentedly oblivious to the fact he was not even paying attention as she chattered in his ear.

As he continued to spy on Sparrow the music subtly changed to something with a slower rhythm and much to his candour the woman he had been dancing with grasped him tightly round the middle with her head rested against his shoulder. He fought a shudder and worked a plan to get rid of the silly woman quickly.

His chanced a side ward glance towards Sparrow and his annoyance did not abate as one of the 'gentlemen' brought her yet another cup of wine. What irked him most was she accepted wholeheartedly and her cheeks were already pink with her evident tipsiness. He watched helplessly as she spilt a small amount upon her exposed collar bone and one of her companions was quick to wipe it away whilst she giggled haplessly. That was the last straw and he grabbed the woman that clung to him, then set her aside forcefully.

-I apologise my dear but I have something to go take care of,- he said loftily and she immediately protested.

-But Reaver don't you like me?- she asked her bottom lip quivering.

A look of revulsion crossed his face and he turned to face her with a fake sweet smile. -My dear, you are drunk and Ugly!- he stated loud enough for the surrounding people to hear, -But tomorrow you will only be sober.-

With his cutting words she burst into tears and fled. Much to his glee he was applauded by many a male whilst many a woman sent him dark glares. He did not care. At least he was able to get rid of her without having to shoot her. That would not of gone down well.

He took a deep, calming breath and smoothed back his hair before with, deliberate steps, approached Sparrow. As he stepped up to the throng of men they all looked up to see who had joined them and instantly Reaver sensed hostility. He smirked and looked down at Sparrow who had been talking animatedly to the young man next to her. Reaver did give her some credit as he looked upon the handsome faces who stared curiously in his direction, she did attract quite a group of good looking young men.

"Ah... Reaver," Sparrow giggled and set aside her cup, "Nice of you to join us, would you like some of these they are quite delicious." She held up a plate with small little biscuits covered in some sort of soft cheese and a tiny flower. Reaver looked at it then at her with a raised eyebrow. "Okay so you don't." She shrugged and popped one in her mouth and chewed happily as the man closest to her chuckled, took one and popped that into her awaiting mouth.

Reaver glowered darkly and suddenly grabbed her round the wrist. The woman hastily swallowed as she was dragged out of her chair and dropped her plate on the table. She bumped into him as he stopped to glance at the young men with a sudden smirk.

-See this- he asked in a pleasant tone. He pointed to the earring and their eyes widened, but they nodded, -Ok, then back off or I will shoot you-

They glanced at each other apprehensively and most backed away, then disappeared into the crowd leaving Reaver glowing with triumph and Sparrow looking confused.

"Hey... what did you say?" she asked in a sulky tone as she stumbled after him, "We were having the best conversation."

Reaver turned around abruptly grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close. "You are drunk," he said looking down at her with narrowed eyes.

"So... like you cared before," she muttered and the statement seemed to cut deep leaving him to cringe. "I mean you left me all on my own to … waltz with some plump bint that looked like she had the intelligence of a rock and... and... I had to do something or I would have been very bored."

She paused in her narrative and Reaver looked away to glower darkly at the dancers about him. She stared at him before poking him hard in the shoulder. He winced and turned to glare at her, but before he could say anything she had wrapped her arms about his neck and pressed her lips to his in a heated kiss. He froze in surprise before his body forced him to relax and he returned it. When she let go she looked at him with a pout before burying her face in his shoulder allowing him to lead her in a slow dance. Reaver sighed resting his cheek upon her soft hair and inhaling the sweet floral scent his anger abating into guilt.

"You have a remarkable gift for making me feel guilty for the smallest of things," he commented and she sniffled in response.

"Sorry," she muttered quietly and Reaver could not help but chuckle.

"Don't sniffle dear its unsightly."

"Sorry."

"Stop saying sorry," Reaver smiled despite himself and she pulled her head back to look at him with an unfocused look.

"Sorry," she snorted and began to giggle burying her face in his shoulder once more. Reaver merely rolled his eyes as she tightened her arms about his neck and he slowly waltzed the woman's form in slow circles. She hummed lowly and nuzzled against his neck enjoying the contact of his strong body against hers and she blushed despite her coy smile as she remembered the events of the afternoon. She logged that under the best afternoon she ever had.

She was about to ask Reaver if she could have another drink when a almighty clang rattled through the hall causing the orchestra to stop abruptly. People stood looking about in confusion as the lights flickered despite there being no windows or doors open. Morzai appeared on the podium, where a singer had been moments before, with an agitated expression as a creeping chill settled leaving the guests shivering fearfully. Then, all of a sudden the lights went out causing many to scream and Sparrow clung to Reaver her eyes darting intently.

"What's going on?" she whispered harshly and the Pirate shrugged his finger tips rested on the tip of his guns handle.

A menacing cackle vibrated through the room as a spotlight clicked on focusing on the podium where Morzai stood staring with horror upon the man who stood beside him. Morzai backed away as the eyes from between the slits glared hatefully at him and he whimpered with fear.

"Nice to see you again Morzai ol'boy," the chilling voice cackled and the crowd watched apprehensively as the tall skeletal like figure turned to regard the guests with distaste.

Upon seeing him Sparrow immediately snapped out of her alcohol induced daze and removed herself from Reaver allowing each other space just incase. She sensed Garth's presence just to her left and felt mildly comforted by both of them there even though she had no weapon to speak of. She looked to Reaver who gave her a brief nod before focusing his eyes on the figure with a dark yet calm expression.

-Ladies and gentlemen!- Adren almost crowed with little effort and those closest to the podium took an apprehensive step back, -We interrupt your festivities to annoy you and and make things generally irritating.-

He rocked back as he let out a harsh laugh. -But seriously folks I have come to say you will … all die and hopefully lay choking in you own blood, but lo... you are not what I am after, no, your 'special guests' are my point of interest, but even so I'm gonna kill ya anyway. Ohhhhhh boys!-

He clicked his long fingers the sharp sound caused the lights to illuminate once more and surrounding the room were tall dark figures with large muscles and bodies covered in armour. From their hands hung leashes attached to massive dog like beasts that drooled and snarled hungrily. The crowd immediately began to scream and chaos ensued as they all tried to escape, but no doors were open and they thundered towards the only exit trying in vain to force the large metal doors open.

Adren cackled as the heroes forced their way towards the podium and Sparrow was the first to reach it. She glared up at Adren's form and he turned his masked face towards her. His eyes glowed a sickly orange as he stared at her.

"Hello again my dear, such a pleasure to meet you once more," he said in a dark menacing voice and a shudder made the warrior woman quiver involuntarily.

"What do you want!" she demanded her hands balling into tight fists and Adren chuckled.

"What I want dear, I already have," he clicked his fingers again and a figure appeared behind him. Corban glanced blankly down at Sparrow with lifeless eyes as a small bundle hung lifeless over his shoulder. Sparrow's eyes widened and she stared at Corban questioningly, but he made no effort to respond. "We had to make her sleep, but you will be proud to know she put up one hell of a fight. Quite a feisty young thing. Managed to pull off a couple of quite powerful spells. Impressive for someone her age don't you think." Adren chuckled and stroked his porcelain covered chin. "Hmm, I think I might keep her around after I am done with her... make her my queen maybe."

He burst out in sinister laughter as Sparrow made a high pitched scream. She lunged for him, but with a deadly calmness he held up his hand and sent out a pulse of energy. It caught her in the midriff propelling her limp body backwards into the awaiting arms of Garth and Reaver.

Garth laid her upon the floor and glared up at Adren, his eyes and will lines glowing with power and fury.

"If you have what you want then why have you stayed?" he asked in a biting tone. Adren regarded the Mage mildly.

"Because I want to kill you," he replied in a matter of fact way before chuckling and leaning forward, "That way you three and that pesky cat won't come after me and mess up my already delayed plans."

He straightened up and looked about the chaotic room with his eyes glowing with a sickly glee before they settled back to the trio before him.

"And believe me," he drawled, "I am going to enjoy every moment of it."

With that he tossed his head back issuing a wave of hideous laughter as woman screamed and the beasts howled with anticipation.

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Sorry this is uuuber late, but loads of stuff came up and I did hit a kinda writers block with it also. I'm hoping (now things have calmed down) to get the next chapter up tomorrow evening. I hope that will appease you all and I also hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.


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